My "Where Were You..." Story

Everyone is doing the "Where were you on September 11th" stories on facebook and blogs, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. 

I remember that on August 11, 2001, I had just flown back from Taiwan.  I remember that my parents followed me all the way back to the gate to send me off, and they did the same when they picked me up.  Little did we, or anyone else, know that this would be the last time they would ever see me off at the gate.  How our lives have changed, even our travel has changed!   Exactly one month later, I went to the cafeteria to grab breakfast before my class and saw the first plane plow into the North Tower.  Initially, I thought it was a small private plane, and hoped that it was an accident.  I then went to class where the professor let us out early.  I headed right back to the cafeteria.  I didn't want to be holed up in my dorm room watching these events unfold by myself.  There was comfort in numbers and being around people to discuss the events and share the deep feelings of sadness.  It was during my second trip to the cafeteria that I discovered that it was no accident.  Honestly, I don't remember much else about the day.  When you are a young, single college student so far removed from the "real world", you don't tend to dwell on these things. 
Fast forward ten years later, and things are a bit different for me.  Now that I have two kids, and now that I am not quite as naive, I understand the gravity of this situation, and feel the deep sense of loss the whole country felt ten years ago(though I will never totally understand).  I have devoured every TV show and magazine article about 9/11 that I have come across, and have a true sense of sadness.  But Arnold posted on his facebook page a quote from a message he heard that day, and I think it's worth repeating here.   "God was not surprised by the events that took place that day, and He is still in control."  Those words still ring today!   Thank you God.