Today is always such a weird day for me. So many sad photos of the towers falling down, families grieving, the iconic firefighters raising the American flag at ground zero, etc. However today is a day of joy and happiness because my brother Matthew was born on September 11, 2001.
My parents had a difficult time having children, and after my sister and I they figured they were done. However a miracle happened and my mom became pregnant with a boy! Now you have to understand how elated my dad was. He was surrounded by girls: my mom, my sister Christina, our dog Hannah and myself. We were so excited that a boy was coming into our life, and we believed he was a "gift from God". Which was why we named him Matthew.
I remember September 10 was a Monday, and my mom was going into the hospital on Tuesday for her C-Section. I literally couldn't pay attention in school all morning that sunny September 11. When was I going to get a call that my baby brother was here!? Then something strange in school happened, every class was silent and something shifted in the air. I was in Mr. Rhoads Honors Social Studies class when we were told the first plane hit. I will never forget watching him slink into his chair and start to choke up. We just sat there in silence until the bell rang for our next class.
All day I watched girls cry because their dads commuted to NYC and nobody could get through on their phones. Our school was on lock down and no one was allowed to leave. It took forever for me to finally get in touch with my mom. She said Matthew was born and he was very healthy and perfect. I couldn't wait to get home so I could finally meet him.
The instant I saw Matthew I cried (Ugh I always cry in emotional situations so this is not a shocker.) He was so wonderful, and he held my hand right away. He never cried, and always slept or smiled in my arms. I totally sang "I'd Give My Life For You" from one of my top 5 favorite musicals, Miss Saigon. #musicaltheatrenerd and my sister made fun of me all the time.
Now that he is 12, I think he is starting to realize how special he is and what this day means to a lot of people. Now my brother says some pretty hilarious things, and I think he is the coolest kid I know, but I'll never forget when we took him to see St. Paul's Church in 2009. The church was unharmed during the terrorist attacks, and many victims were brought there for shelter and aide. When we were in the graveyard I took this photo, and he asked me "Why did God want a bad thing to happen on my birthday?" Naturally I choked up and told him, "Well a lot of people died on your birthday but he wanted to give you to our family, and make sure something good happened that day."
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