November 12, 2001

New York Marks 10th Anniversary of Flight 587 Crash
As I read this headline in The Tuscaloosa News.....I knew exactly where I was that morning. You know, the important, happy or sad things that happen and are forever immortalized by the....where were you when! Usually, these are things that affect every person in the U.S. For a few hours in time...this affected me.
I was downstairs exercising, to a video, so my network television was not on. My phone rang. I got up, picked up the remote control, aimed it at the TV and pressed stop as I picked up the phone. The memory of what happened next plays out in slow motion in my mind. I heard Sue Moon's voice as I glanced back at the TV. I heard Sue say "have you heard from Courtney" as the headline on the TV knocked the breath out of me! A plane had crashed in Queens. I hung up on Sue as I screamed.
Courtney was working in New York. She got the news that she was being moved to New York the morning of 9-11. She was working in Queens. Courtney flies to her job every Monday morning. It was Monday morning....she was flying to work!
I did what I have done for years since I have lived in Berry. I ran to Georgia Moore. Georgia has served as my first person to run to since we became neighbors...many years ago. I ran across our yards, barefooted, in my pajamas with uncombed hair and unbrushed teeth and as always she folded me into her arms. I couldn't breathe and could barely talk. After Georgia got me calmed down and found out what happened she started trying to find John. He was hunting and out of cell phone coverage.
Sue left work to come to the house. As she pulled up Georgia suggested that we go back to my house to wait on news.
We had tried calling Courtney and got her voice mail. I kept calling it again and again and leaving a message to please call me. I knew that she was in the air at the same time as this plane but did not know what plane she was on. After several years of her flying we had become lax with knowing details.
Before I put on clothes, brushed my hair and teeth .....I dropped to my knees and prayed and pleaded for my daughter!
Then the phone rang......a shaky voice said...MAMA, what has happened! I lost it. I cried and thanked God for the sound of my child's voice.
Yes, she had been somewhere in the air behind the crash. They diverted them to Washington but did not tell them why. She had just got to where she could use her phone and she was so scared that there had been another terror attack.
No, there wasn't a terror attack. The plane just crashed and my heart knows that somewhere...some Mother, who was on her knees......did not get a call that began with...MAMA.
Thank you, God, for the safety of John, Brady, Kim, Emma, Abby, John Brady, Courtney, Dave, Lawson and Josh and please forgive me for not saying it more often!