The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

Rich Rosenblatt

14 years ago

I was watching television last Sunday night when the news broke in to tell us that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. It was one of those moments that I will always remember where I was at the time that it happened. Reflecting back, I'm glad that I was home with my daughter, whose birthday is 9/11/98.

I will never forget where I was on 9/11/98 and on 9/11/01. In 1998, it was literally the happiest day of my life; the birth of my first child. I didn't think anything could ever put a damper on the joy that Sept. 11 could ever bring to me.

On 9/11/2001, I was in my car at the junction of route 90/94 heading into work and sitting in traffic as I did several days per week at that time. My wife called me frantically telling me that a plane had just flown into the World Trade Center. As she was telling me, the second plane hit. I remember getting to work and watching both towers come down. I remember going home that day and watching the news tirelessly, with my 3-year-old daughter asking why the buildings were on fire.

I don't tend to wish death on anyone, but May 1, 2011, brought some closure to the events on 9/11/01 for me. It is always weird when someone asks my daughter when her birthday is, she says Sept. 11, and people say to her, 'Sorry.' Who wants to hear that?? I don't think his death will change that response, but at least the person behind it has paid the ultimate price for what he masterminded!

Sept. 11, for me, will forever bring extreme joy and sadness. I will always thank God for the gift given to me that day and pray for the lives lost on it. It will always bring tears to my eyes for the extreme joy and pain I felt and will forever feel on that day. I personally am happy to bring some sort of closure to the painful part of those tears.