SENTINEL WATCH September 9, 2002 Issue

Looking back, looking forward

By Channing Walker

One of the first people I spoke with on September 11 was a woman whose son Ben worked in the World Trade Center. She was unable to contact him by phone, and was reaching out in prayer. Amazingly, she hadn't crumbled emotionally. She even joked ruefully that while she'd spent a lifetime trying to get her son up in the morning, now she was hoping and praying he'd gotten up late that day and gone to work too late to be in harm's way.

I spoke with her again recently and with Ben. He had, in fact, hit the snooze button one extra time—five extra minutes that made a big difference. He left for work late, and came up out of the subway to see smoke encircling the North Tower. Ben honestly admits what his first thought was: "Can I get away with going to work for just half a day?" That was before he knew what was really happening. Then, as he watched, the second jet plowed through the second tower—and right through his office floor:

What brought mother and son through was something more than just resilient outlooks. Something additional now empowers both Ben and his mom to look forward rather than just back. On a thoughtful note, Ben recently said of that day: "Whatever had been keeping me at a distance from life came down with everything else. I just appreciate everything more. I've worked to give myself over more fully to the people and activities that I love."