ten years later

i remember walking to the office on a sunny tuesday morning with the first bit of crispness in the air. 

i remember looking forward to meeting my best friend, dan, for lunch that afternoon.

i remember the tightness in my chest during the hours that we could not get in touch. 

i remember hearing about the second plane hitting the towers. 

i remember the air being filled with smoke and debris.
 
i remember walking across the brooklyn bridge while covering my face with a t-shirt.  

i remember being able to breathe again once i spoke to dan and knew he was safe. 

i remember watching the news for hours and hours. and then not being able to watch anymore.

i remember that it all felt completely surreal. 

i remember watching david letterman's monologue. i never expected that someone so funny would bring me to tears.

i remember hugging my loved ones more tightly in the days, weeks, and months that followed.
 
today i remember how the events of one morning changed all of our lives. 

and i remember how truly lucky i am.