Six years ago

I worked as the childcare person at a local gym, for two hours every weekday morning, 9 a.m. to 11. This particular morning, one of the regulars had brought her two preschoolers, I had my five and two year olds, and I was a few weeks pregnant with #3. Like every other morning, the kids played and watched Nickelodeon.

A few minutes before 10, the other mom came back into the room. She looked at me. "Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Change the channel. Two planes flew into the World Trade Center."

I jumped up and started flipping channels. My older son wanted to know why. "I want to see the news," I replied. "A plane just hit the World Trade Center."

Yes, I heard her say two planes. I did. But out loud I said one. Because in the back of my mind I knew instantly that if two planes hit, it was deliberate. And then she said it again. "Two planes." I looked up at her, and we both knew what that meant.

Mere moments after I changed the channel, the first tower crumbled. The news commentators didn't even notice at first. I remember shouting, "The building is falling and they're not even paying attention!" We watched in utter disbelief as one and then the other building fell. And our world changed forever.

Never forget.

Please go read my tribute from last year, if you feel so inclined.