My husband and I just rolled a new 2001 Dodge van off the lot. It was our forth car. We were waiting to finish our dream home. We were to close the sale of our present home then at the end of the moth to move in. I had the perfect job working as a medical assistant at the Kaiser Clinics and Ben Worked for a Autoliv, they made airbags for cars. We were at the top of our lives. I made the statement “We had arrived!”

That morning I dropped off my kids at school. I was taking the one of the cars for a maintenance check. Driving down Alameda, my cell rang. It was my sister. She told me, I turned on the radio. Emergency instructions were being given about the airports.

At Firestone I watched on the TV what New York Looked Like; I said “Oh my God thank God I don’t know any one there.” Then my Brother-in-law called.

“I’m a live!! I went to get a Star Buck’s coffee. I was in the 2nd tower and left. Two minutes later the first plane hit the tower! How lucky I am!” I felt so bad that I had forgotten about Dave and His family.

My Kids were at the middle school and elementary school in Denver. All schools were in Lockdown. I had to wait outside each School and show ID to get each of my kids. I had no idea that my whole would never be the same.

The family that was to buy our home, their check bounced. We were not able to close on our new home. Ben’s job slowed down on making air bags. Within a month his $100,000.00 was gone. We had to return the van. Hard times were on the way. That was the beginning of a downward rollercoaster ride that we would not be able to get off of.