09.11.06
Memories of September 11, 2001
As I read my brother David’s entry for today, I teared up. The memories of September 11, 2001 will always conjure up so many emotions and visions.
As I recall my day, Jason was getting ready for work and came running into our bedroom telling me that something has gone terribly wrong in New York. We watched in horror as the day unfolded.
After the initial shock, I thought immediately of family members who live in New York. Everyone in our family survived. I, at the time, did not realize David was in New York, and then in dawned on me that he might be there for work. I was so nervous as we could not get a hold of anyone to know where he was. When I finally heard his voice, I felt such relief as I do not know what I would do without my brother or anyone else in our family.
As the weeks went on, I remember actually fearing going to work. I was in sales at the time, and I would occasionally have to cross the Bay Bridge. I got nervous each time I saw a white, unmarked van. I feel for those people in other countries who live in fear every day.
I also traveled some for work, but Kraft had grounded all employees.
In October of 2001, my Mom had an emergency heart surgery, and I remember wishing so badly that I had never moved away. I left immediately, but the fear of flying had set in. That was one of the longest flights of my life. I had never feared flying until the events of September 11. I also didn’t want my Mom to worry about me, so I didn’t tell her I was coming.
I remember going to church and seeing the strength of a woman whose brother was a firefighter who perished in New York. She had the strength to serve in church that day.
One of the family stories that shocked me the most, and something I didn’t discover until months later, was that our cousin, Arnell Prato normally flew on United Flight 93. He was supposed to be flying that day, but for some reason, thank God, he was not working that day. He was a flight attendant. My Aunt Esper was unable to hear from him for days due to the traffic on the phone lines, and she thought for sure that both of her children perished. Our cousin Winnie was supposed to be working downtown that day. Arnell was finally able to get through. My heart goes out to him as he lost some of his dearest friends on that flight. He has since resigned from United and is now in dental school in Ohio.
May God Bless the world today as we mourn the victims of this tragedy. Let us always have the victims, their families and the heroes in our hearts.
Arnell Prato said,
July 2, 2008 at 7:35 am
I never flew on UAL 93. On 9/11 I was returning from Turkey from vacation via Vienna, Austria. The Austrian airline flight was returned to Vienna after 5 hours on its way to Chicago. That was how I received the news of the WTC attacks. I was on time off. UAL 93 was a domestic flight and I was based internationally.