Nobody was left unscathed. I lost friends in the attack, and I am still sorting through the feelings that I have. I was in the air when it all happened on a flight from San Francisco to New York when we were forced to land in Salt Lake City. They never told us anything, other than we were making an unscheduled landing, and they kept reinforcing that the aircraft was okay, and we would be safe. After deplaning, I saw people gathered at a suspended television by the bar. When I saw the images for the first time, I was not willing to believe that this was anything other than a commercial for a new disaster movie. When the man standing next to me filled me in, something penetrated my disbelief and I realized we were in trouble. A few hours later, when all air traffic was suspended, I rushed to the nearest car rental counter and got a car to drive home. I just had to get home. However, in my haste, I did not realize that I even knew how to get to LA from Salt Lake City, until about ten minutes on the road had already passed. Fifteen hours of driving later, with a pit stop in Vegas, I was home.

As human beings, we know that we need to get "home" or whatever that secure place is, but we may not know how to find that place emotionally. Even if we do know how, it is likely that we will underestimate the time needed to get there. So it has been and so will be for the thousands of people affected by this tragedy. How are we coping? How are you doing?

I ask that you remember, and commend to your prayers and sincere memory all those who are left behind to suffer the losses exacted upon us that day. We are going to be okay, and we will get home.