8 years...

I'm sure just about everyone over the age of 12 remembers where and what they were doing 8 years ago today. For me I was 15 and asleep. I can still clearly recall answering the phone in a half-awake state and my dad telling me someone at work was saying a plane hit the towers in NY. I remember bolting out of bed thinking "what the ??". Hurriedly turning on the news I saw it was true and on every station they were broadcasting the same footage. The north tower on fire.

It was 7:53am.

I remember yelling and waking up my sister and for my mom, who was getting ready for work. I remember sitting down and watching completely stunned as a second plane hit the south tower minutes later. I remember thinking this totally unreal. I remember that life changing moment when my view of the world totally shifted and suddenly everything became so much more real and dangerous to me. And I sat on that couch all day and watched everything else unfold.

The pentagon. United 93. Airports shut down. Businesses stopped. Major cities come to a crashing halt under the fear it'd be next. Military bases instantly on alert. The towers falling.

I remember watching the firefighters and policemen rush in to help. Now today 8 years later I look back on this memory and my heart is sad for all those families. For those men and women whose lives were lost and yet I know they choose to serve. And for that I say thank you today.

Thank you to every member of our amazing armed forces. Thank you to everyone who has ever, is presently, or will ever serve and protect the people of this nation. Thank you to all the policemen and firefighters who protect their communities everyday. Thank you for keeping us safe to live our lives.

Really just a big THANK YOU to everyone who has ever worn a uniform!! You guys rock!!!