Why today is important to me...

[Guest guest]

Today is an emotional one for most of us, but I just wanted to share

this with everyone, because it changed my life completely.

Today is important to me because I started to understand what love

was and what it was not. I was working as a nurse in the operating

room and reporting back to our surgical team as the events unfolded

today. At the same time my boyfriend at the time was supposed to be

on an AA flight and I could not get a hold of him. We had been

having trouble with our relationship and had called off our

engagement, but none of that seemed to matter at that point. I

found out he missed his flight and I was relieved. In the many sad

days that followed we clung to each other as much of the country did

with their loved ones. Unfortunately, the relationship was not

strong enough and we ended up breaking it off in December. But

something beautiful came out of all that tragedy, I found out I was

pregnant. Even though the relationship had ended, I had resolved to

raise this baby on my own. On July 31st 2002 my son Nolan was

born. When that baby was passed to me in my arms I understood what

love was. A love that I thought I knew before was nothing compared

to what I felt for the tiny life I held in my arms.

So that is why today is important to me.