10 Years Ago on 9/13

9/11 did not end on 9/11. The horror, shock, heightened nervousness lasted for months. It could almost be described as a national case of post traumatic stress. For days afterward people did not move from their televisions unless it was absolutely necessary. As someone who worked from home, I found myself constantly checking for news updates.

Almost exactly 48 hours after the towers collapsed, I received a phone call from my son-in-law. My daughter had gone into labor and my first grandchild was about to be born. In less than an hour I had packed a bag, withdrawn cash from the bank, gassed up the car and started the 215 mile trip.

As I headed south on the NYS Thruway, the road was empty. I sometimes saw a vehicle heading north. Occasionally I would run across an official-looking vehicle heading south. But for the most part I had the road eerily to myself. I spent the trip alternating praying, singing patriotic songs and listening to the radio. Route 287 through New Jersey was the same. It wasn't until I hit 78 heading west that I encountered some truck traffic - postal service, Fedex, a rare semi pulling cargo. I was not aware of speeding, but made the trip in 3 hours.

In the hospital waiting room the television was showing CNN - continuous video of the attack and collapse of the twin towers. My daughter's father-in-law Walter joined me and we talked about 9/11 as we awaited the arrival of our grandchild. Finally my son-in-law emerged from the birthing area and invited me in to meet my granddaughter. Joy and relief battled for place as I welcomed my beloved Emily into my life and reassured myself that my daughter was all right. Emily's parents were bursting with love, joy and delight. They were now a family!

A few minutes later I went downstairs and outside to put my new cell phone to good use spreading the news. First, my husband. He was on the west coast and we had no idea when he would be able to return home. At the time, there was a very real possibility he might have to rent a car and drive across country. Next my mother, mother-in-law and younger daughter. And last a few of my very dearest friends. Each call was greeted by boisterous cheers as the news was shared with anyone within listening range. Everyone was thrilled that after two endless days of unremitting tragedy, at least for us, there was good news. I will always treasure that day and Emily's arrival as my return to faith in the future.

The national nightmare did not end - in many ways it continues to this day. The anthrax murders by mail, the endless wars, the Patriot Act. But always for me it has been balanced by the tremendous joy the first Emily and 4 years later her sister Abby brought into my life.

Note: My husband got a seat of one of the very first flights east on Saturday, September 15. Until I saw him emerge from the terminal, I did not dare to believe he would actually make it back. The following Monday he flew to Florida. Visiting clients was (and is) what he did to make a living.