I came downstairs that morning and found my step-dad and mother standing in front of the TV with their hands over their mouths, tears falling from my mothers eyes. As i took in the scene on the screen I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t know what the Twin Towers were and did not know this man, bin Laden, who my step-father was claiming responsible. As my mother drove me to school that day she eagerly listened to the radio as the tears still stream down her cheeks. “Mom, why are you crying so much? Do you know somebody there?” I asked. “No. I’m just worried about your brother” she replied. My oldest brother had just graduated Army bootcamp in August of 2001 and she was afraid our country would soon be at war. She was right. And, although my brother did not have to deploy to the Middle East until 2010, it was that infamous day that I learned about the value and sacrifices the men and women of our armed services make daily. Thank you to all the troops that protect this great country, and condolences to those who were affected by this tragedy.