10 years has passed...

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Writing something yesterday was far too emotional for me. So, here I am the day after the 10 year anniversary.

Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news 10 years ago. I am guessing that most even know what they did and how they felt the week following.
10 years ago yesterday, I woke up for school and it was like any normal day. Until I realized it wasn't. As soon as I started about my routine, I knew something was off this morning. I knew something was different. After getting ready, a friend came to my house for a ride to school and she asked me, "have you seen then news?" I hadn't. We walked outside to my dad, watching tv, as the towers were falling, smoking. My dad said, "you know, your mom is in D.C."
All day at school, we watched the news. We watched as our country was being attacked. We watched in shock, in confusion. For a 15 year old Sophomore it really didn't make much sense.
I remember watching the news for the rest of the week and the weeks to follow at school, no homework was due, it was as if time stopped. Which in a way, for Americans, it did. (My mom was there, but made it home safely.)

There were moms and dads that didn't make it home though. There were husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons that didn't make it home.

10 years ago a lot of people lost their lives. 10 years ago America stood together a little more broken, but strong and united. 10 years ago many men and women made a commitment to themselves to join the military as soon as they could, so they could fight for our freedom. Within those 10 years, many have lost their lives fighting for freedom. 

Never forget. 

Thank a firefighter, police officer, someone in the military or their families next time you see them. They sacrifice more than we could imagine.

Souce

Jared Hagemann 

November 5, 1985 - June 28, 2011

Joined the military, because of the attacks on September 11, 2001 and took his own life this past June after 8 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD.

(Before watching this 9-11 video, make sure you go down and turn off my music I have playing on my page.)

Linking up with Casey:

Jared Hagemann

This is a pretty good article of what I am going to be talking about. So, please take a few minutes to read and then come back. 

I have been struggling with how to write about this, since I found out about this story. I feel like I have been keeping this from all of my friends in blog world, and that is not something I want to do anymore. I'm sure some of you have heard stories about this before. A man in the military, back from being deployed, suffering from PTSD, taking his own life. I have read a few stories like this, and have even prayed for the families of those people I had read about. This one though... This one was different. This story hit my heart like a ton of bricks. Let me explain why.

Jared went to school with me our senior year. Not only that, but we were good friends that year. We even went on a few dates and hung out at school a lot. We went to the movies with friends and would go 4-wheeling in his jeep. Sometimes my mind will go to thoughts of high school days and fun things I would do or say with my friends. Often times I will think of these friends and wonder where they are and what they are doing. Now I know what happened to Jared and it breaks my heart. Although I hadn't talked to or seen him since graduation 7 years ago, he was still a part of my life. I knew him for 1 year, a year that helped shaped me into the person I am today, a year that I will never forget.

All the talk of him being in the army and having PTSD, and what his wife is doing, it is all so important. I think though, people forget that he was someones son, brother, husband, daddy, friend. So please take a few more seconds to read this article and get to know a small part of the Jared that I will forever remember. The sweet, fun loving, joyful man that I knew and will always miss.

Jared Hagemann 

November 5, 1985 - June 28, 2011