I was newly married, my wife and I having moved back to upstate NY in 2000 after living in NYC for a year. I remember my mother calling me and saying that a plane had hit the WTC, and she was watching the news. That struck me, especially, because when we lived in NYC, I used to leave the WTC to go to my workplace, which was about a half mile from the Twin Towers, right about the time the first plane would have hit. My son was in preschool and I went over to see my mother (who has since gone Home as of 2003) and arrived just as the second plane hit the Towers. Not long after my wife called me and said they were sending everyone home from her job with NYS. She was crying because she had friends who worked at the Towers, and found out later one of them had died in the attack. Shortly after that my mother and I both watched as they collapsed, at the time thinking over 5000 people had died. I called my Pastor, in tears, to tell him what was happening, and watched with my mother until we couldn't take it any more. It was the most horrific thing I believe I have ever seen, and it was only by God's grace that we had moved, and I was not there that day. Years later, after I became a first responder, myself, my wife looked at me and said "If you'd been there, I think you'd have been killed because you'd have gone to try and help." It was the most humbling thing I think I've ever been told. I've never forgotten, or let my sons forget all those who lost their lives that day, or WHY they lost their lives, and have been proud to be allowed by God to be part of the same group of people who ran into the buildings that day when so many were trying to run out.