Maybe some of them were people just like us, waiting for hockey season to start, or football season to get in full swing, or looking forward to the holidays. Just regular people with dreams, ambitions, and hopes for the future.

They were people just like us who boarded four planes yesterday morning, getting on with their business, returning from trips, looking forward to being back home or looking forward to getting away for a few days. Regular people from all walks of life, doing what was normal for them.

But in a few hours, nothing was normal. Children were left without parents, wives without husbands, and friends without friends.

As the events of the day grew worse, regular people who went to their jobs as firemen, police officers, and rescue workers, people just like us, had their lives ended or shattered. Their jobs were to help others and while they were doing that, their lives were taken.

In the space of a few hours, our lives changed completely and forever. Hopes and dreams were destroyed along with the buildings and jet planes.

But America was founded by people in search of freedom. Millions have already given their lives to help us keep that freedom. We won’t give it up no matter who tries to take it from us.

It’s hard to believe now but we can only hope that soon regular people just like us will be able to go about our business again, have our hopes and dreams again, and be free to live our lives in our great country…FREE!