September 11th - what I remember

I carpooled to the subway station that morning with my friend Rebecca and got to work at MGH earlier than usual. We didn't have a TV in our office but someone had their radio on and heard what had happened and spread the word. Two of the planes left from Logan Airport/Boston which made it more real for me. I was on the phone with my sister-in-law in Florida as she described watching the first tower fall. I was stunned. I called my parents on the west coast and told them to turn on their TV. I visited my new friend Dusty who was at MGH a few times that day and watched the coverage on the TV in his room. A few of my friends got stuck in various cities around the country when all flights were grounded. I remember hearing stories of how they got home: chartered flight, limo ride, riding the Greyhound bus. Like everyone else I was glued to the TV for a few days. I have three friends-of-friends that lost their spouse or their life that day.

A week later, my firefighter friend went to Ground Zero to be a peer counselor and support for firefighters in New York City. When I heard he was going I had an idea. I went into my kitchen and started baking. I made 454 cookies in two nights. That's a few cookies shy of 38 dozen. I knew he would be able to get them into Ground Zero to people that would appreciate a homemade treat. I called him and told him I had something for him to take and asked him to come over. I put the cookies in shopping bags. He saw how many there were and said, "I can't take these." I told him, "You are taking these cookies. I don't care who you give them to but you are taking them."

This is what my friend wrote about the experience for my birthday book last year:

Most of us shoppers know those big bags with the rope handles that are reserved for the largest shopping purchases. Macy's uses them, but only when you buy a lot.

Back in September of 2001, Ellen filled (...and I mean filled to the top), these huge bags with fresh baked cookies. These cookies were just like the "made at midnight" cookies we all know and love... but on a larger scale, more like the "made over a 24 hour period" brand. Ellen stopped her busy schedule and was baking like crazy to fill these bags.

These cookies were delivered to FDNY firefighters and relief workers attached to the FEMA office working at Ground Zero. This was Ellen's donation to the efforts at Ground Zero.

I was in New York City on August 26th with the Garcia family from France. I took a picture of them on the State of Liberty ferry with their backs to me, facing the World Trade Center towers. Just sixteen days before September 11th.

I am so sorry for the people that died on that terrible day. I am so sorry for all the families that lost loved ones that day. I am thankful for all those who saved another life that day and for all the good things people have done for others because of what happened on September 11th.