Thursday, September 11, 2008

Happy Birthday!

To a few people.

My sister Jodi, and my friends Jamie and Kelsi.

After 9/11, even though it put our country on defensive and such terrible things occurred that day, I still have more concern for those whose birthday this day in history falls upon.

We all know what we were doing when the planes hit. I was stuck on I-270 on my way to Ellisville for work, hearing play by play on the radio, only to witness the first tower collapse 5 minutes after I finally got there.

I know my sister was waking up from anesthesia from back surgery, and I can only imagine what was running through her mind. I know she told me she thought it was the drugs. Funny, but not funny.

A year later, as I was getting ready to celebrate my 23rd birthday, my sister Jessica and I went to eat at Lone Star where I was working. There was this quiet, and sort of weird, yet cute bartender who worked there, who didn't look like he was having a good day. Me being the happy-go-lucky, "no-one-is-sad-around-me" person I was at the time, I dug out of him what was making him down, and truth be told, I think it was the longest conversation he had with anyone at that restaurant since he had worked there. I told him I was celebrating my birthday on Saturday, since my birthday was that following Monday, Labor Day, and it was my scheduled holiday to work. He informed me of his birthday being on 9/11. As sympathetic as I get, I told him in his gloomy state that I would get him a card, even though he didn't hold me to it. Poor thing had to work on his birthday too. I got him that card, lifted his spirits, and after that, Jamie had become one of my closest friends. Good things do come from tragedy.

I will always remember 9/11 as most people will. I am just going to encourage others to reach out to those who are stuck with the tie between their birthday and this terrible tragedy that our nation had suffered. Every one gets one day a year that belongs to them, their birthday. They deserve to have it despite what happened.

Happy Birthday Wishes to all 9/11 kids! You get your day!

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