I was just getting ready to walk out the door to drive my son to school... Over breakfast, he was joyfully telling me that Andrea, his school mentor was flying back from NYC that morning. When the second plane hit - and there rumors that more planes were missing, we began to fear that our friend was on one of those planes.

I made him go to school - late - and we were both in tears when I dropped him off. Thankfully, eventually I was able to reach Andrea's husband - who told me with relief, she was fine. It took her two weeks to get a flight out of NYC... but at least she was alive.

Like most of America (and the world I guess), I watched the events unfold in horror and disbelief. Like Mike, I checked the ChipBoard - to see if any of our East Coast colleages had checked in. Thankfully - many had... but the echoing sounds of their grief was deep and haunting.

Two of the posts that disturbed me the most were from Rich Hanover and Alan Borenstein

I have spent the last year trying to find the words to explain to my 12 year old (who has a disability) about things like "war" and "religion" and prejudice and hatred and terrorism... things that in all honesty I didn't know much about myself.

God Bless America and my prayers are especially with those who suffered personal loss on 9-11