Flight 77
Asia Cottom, 11, Washington, DC
I was so excited that morning. I loved that I was going to be flying on a plane. I could hardly sleep the night before. The people on the plane were so nice to me and the other kids were happy, too. I couldn’t wait to be up in the air.
Then the trouble started and I didn’t understand what was happening. I was confused, but a lot of people were upset and I started to get worried. I didn’t know what to do, but I prayed to God to make us OK and keep us safe. I always prayed to God for different things, but I knew this was different. I prayed that the scared people would not be scared anymore and that everyone would be safe and happy again and that soon all of this would be over and we would be back to normal again.
I didn’t want the other kids to worry, either. I looked to my side and saw a little boy crying and I told him, “it’s going to be OK. God is taking care of us.” He nodded, but I think he was still scared. And even though I knew God would be there for us, I started to get scared, too.
As things were getting worse and people were starting to scream and cry and we knew something very bad was happening, I thought about my family and my mom and I wanted to be with them again. I wanted to fight with my brother again, because when we fought, it was really our way of saying, “I love you.”
I want to tell everyone that even when you die, you can still help people and that is what I am doing. I am very busy here and I am still learning and helping any time I can. I still love people, even when they have bad in them, because there is a reason there is bad in them. No one just chooses it. But we do choose to have good in us. I like that better.
For my family, keep being loving people. You were so good to me, so that I could be good to others. Know that I am OK, and that I am still spreading the love you put into me and into my heart. I love you and I am still with you. And you are, as you always were, in my prayers. And for my brother, it’s OK to wish you could still fight with me. I know what you really mean.
