On 9-11, I Remember Billy
How do you respond when you hear the date September 11? Do horrific images of the Twin Towers falling and people fleeing in terror flash through your mind? Does the destruction and loss of life at Ground Zero overwhelm and sadden you? Are you angered by the way our country has changed because of the attack?
Meet Billy
When I think of 9-11, I remember Billy, one of my fourth grade students. He was a beautiful child: blond, slightly built, with front teeth way too big for his fine-boned child’s head.
Billy didn’t have a medical condition, but school was difficult for him, very difficult, and he lagged far behind his classmates. But thanks to his hard work and the extra help he received from the special education teacher, he was making steady progress.
It’s My Birthday
Most mornings, Billy came to our classroom early to chat, clean his desk, or finish homework. On September 11, he bounced through the door, his eyes shining. “It’s my birthday,” he announced. “Mom’s fixing supper and cake, and we’re playing games after that.”
During our opening exercises, Billy stood proudly in front of his classmates as they sang Happy Birthday. About an hour later, the principal motioned me into the hall and explained about the Twin Towers. We weren’t to tell our students, she said. Before dismissing in the afternoon, we were to instruct them to talk to their parents as soon as they got home, before they turned on their TVs.
No Party
My heart sank as I relayed the message. I hugged Billy extra-hard when he left that day, wondering what would happen to the party plans. One look at Billy’s expressionless face the next morning, and I knew the answer. But still, I had to ask. “How was your party?”
He shook his head. “No party. We ate supper in front of the TV.” He started to cry, and so did I. We talked about what had happened in New York and why, but I had no words to explain the terrorists who had demolished a ten-year-old boy’s birthday.
I Remembered Billy
This past September, on the eighth anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers, I thought about Billy as I do each 9-11. I think of the birthday he lost in 2001 and of all the birthdays he’s lost since then. On every one of his birthdays, the news programs replay the tragic events of the day, and I imagine Billy. Is he eating supper in front of the TV again?
So many people remember those who died that terrible day. So many people remember the families who lost so much. But I remember Billy, the shy little special needs child who chatted with me before school and was the one student among all my students who needed a birthday to celebrate.
I remember Billy and whisper a hopeful prayer. Happy birthday, Billy. Happy birthday to you.
