All day I've been thinking about this day and what it means to other people. Now, I'm taking the time to think about what it means to me. I remember the day it happened. I was ten. I was in fifth grade. My biggest problems back then were if I wanted ice cream or if I'd make it in middle school with the 'big' kids. I remember sitting at lunch and getting told about it. Granted, it was around twelve o'clock and the attacks had already been happening for a few hours, now. It didn't mean much then. I didn't understand. I didn't understand what was happening. I remember the teachers telling us. The looks on their faces. Their attitude. I could tell it was big, but it didn't mean anything to me. I just mocked everyone else's emotions to try and understand. But, I didn't.

Now I do. The past few years I started, but now I really, really understand. Probably not the greatest of understanding like other people ... that doesn't matter to me, though. I can see the pain on people's faces better now. I can read their eyes and know. I know how much it hurts for those people who lost family members and friends. I can see how much this has effected the United States of America. The past few days I've heard more about the president before ours now and I understand. I understand. My eyes aren't that of a naive little child now. They're not as pure as they were. They can see and understand things better.

They can see that the United States has come closer from all this. There's still so much hate and crime out there ... but we've grown closer together as a country. I've never been prouder to hold my flag or have it waving outside my house, catching the rays of the sun. I've never been prouder to stand on this soil and put my hand over my heart and recite those words. I've never been prouder to sing the National Anthem at the top of my lungs. I've never been more supportive of George W. Bush. You may not like him. You may even hate him. But, I don't. I don't care what you say, either. He is sincere. He loves this country. And he will protect us. I feel safe(r). I know now there will hopefully never be another attack like that on this country.

I thank everyone who helped on 9/11. Those who lost their lives and those who didn't. I thank the passengers on Flight 91 for being courageous and fighting back against the impure. They hurt us, yes. They devastated us for awhile (and maybe even still), yes. But they also made our country stronger. There's a lot that can still be done in this country, but I'm not that worried about it. I thank God for my life. I thank God for not making that worse. And I thank God for giving us hope.

I hope you all can someday thank our President for what he's done and what he's doing. Think for yourselves and don't believe everything you hear. I thank him. You should too.