I will always remember

Today marks the 6 year anniversary of 9/11. As with everyone else, as soon as I woke up and remembered it was the 11th, I immediately began to relive this day, 6 years ago in my head. I was beginning my Sophmore year at MC and was very newly engaged to Prof. I woke up late that morning, because a class had been canceled. As soon as I got up, I hopped in the shower and turned on our shower radio, so that I could enjoy some music while bathing. I was surprised to realize there was no music. As I listened to the announcers talking, trying to put everything together in my almost awake mind, I remember realizing what had happened. I quickly finished my shower, and went straight to the TV to see what was going on. I remember just standing there in awe about what was happened and not really knowing what to think. I remember hearing them say that Atlanta might be target and just being terrified that my fiance lived near Atlanta at the time. I called him, and everyone else I knew. I think just hearing everyone was ok, made it better to me. Then the rest is history. Needless to say, I will never forget the meaning of today. I will never forget how today changed a lot of things for Americans and I will never forget the sacrifices that were made that day and still being made for us today because of that day.

There is another reason, however, that I will not forget 9/11 ever again. As many of you know, I worked in the Office of Admissions at Southwestern for a little over a year. While I was there I really bonded with my boss, Marlene. Many of you know that over the course of my in Admissions, I watched Marlene live the last year of her life. In Sept of 05 the doctors realized that Marlene's brain was overtaken with cancer. At that point they told her she had at the most 6 months to live. I was amazed at how Marlene approached this news. She did not curl up and sit in her house and wait to die. Actually she did quite the opposite. She treated life like she had no cancer. In fact she on many occasions would talk about how blessed she was that things were not worse. She was the prime example of someone who allows Christ to have full control of her life. On this day last year Marlene celebrated her last birthday here on earth. I remember her coming in to work, so weak, and somewhat out of it, just to celebrate with us. Despite all the pain she was in, and the frustration she had in her life, she was more concerned about everyone else in the room. I will always remember her on today and I will always thank God for her and what He taught me through her.