15 years ago...

It was 15 years ago today at about this time (9:40 a.m.) that one of the most vivid memories I have from childhood came about. 15 years ago Oklahoma was attacked and although tragedy struck our city and state, we came out stronger in the end. I remember being in Mrs. Cabler's 5th grade class when we were told that there had been a bombing in Oklahoma City. At the time it may as well have been on the other side of the globe. I had no idea what was going on or just how close to home it actually was. There may have been a few 10 year olds that did but I didn't know them. The teachers moved the four 5th grade classrooms into one room where we were shown live footage of the absolute terror that had struck our state. To this day I'm not sure why they felt it appropriate to show 75 ten-year-olds the graphic news coverage but in a strange way I am glad they did. I will never forget the images I saw, the destruction that was created and the bewildered and tormented looks on the faces of the victims and onlookers. I saw the destruction that hatred caused that day but I also remember very clearly the firefighters, the policemen and even everyday Oklahomans making their way through the crowds to try and help those that had been injured during the explosion. I remember seeing the debris everywhere and still unclear about what had happened, as I'm sure many were. I will never forget the live images and I will never forget the way our first responders reacted that day. Obviously someone who was there in person will have much more detailed stories and events, but for me it is an event I will never forget. In addition to this memory from when I was young I also partook in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon almost a year ago. It was truly a remarkable event and I wasn't quite expecting what I experienced. A couple of days leading up to the race I heard someone on the news say that the race isn't about running or trying to beat a record it's about remembering the victims and survivors of the tragedy itself. Although I wasn't expecting to feel any sort of emotion relating to the actual event (after all I had been training to run the half for quite a few months, this was my moment) I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for our city and other runners. People had t-shirts memorializing their fathers, mothers, children and relatives who had not survived the blast. I can honestly say that the race was ran by many (to include myself) in the memory of the lost loved ones on April 19, 1995. There is always a silver lining, however hard it may be to find, and this is no exception. During the ceremonies people don't reflect on anti-government extremists, or Timothy McVeigh but instead they focus on the strengths of our city, state and society. If you ever have the chance I encourage you to visit the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial and museum. It is truly remarkable to see what was created out of such a huge disaster. The museum places you in the building on April 19 and takes you through a small portion of what it must have been like on that day. Today this particular event hits especially close to home now that I'm expecting. I can't even begin to imagine the pain mothers and fathers felt across the state that day. I do know that people came together that day and through the tragedy there was also a great amount of courage and love displayed by people.