Tuesday, September 11, 2007

In Memory Of: Odessa Morris

Odessa V. Morris


Imagine a day of great joy turned into a day of great sorrow. That is the feeling that many use to explain what happened on September 11, 2001. And its the story of the Morris Family of Maryland. This post is in honor of Odessa Morris.


September 11, 2001 started like many other mornings for Odessa and her family - only it wasn't just any morning. It was Odessa's 25 wedding anniversary with her husband - Tony. She didn't intend to go to work for long - and her husband dropped her at a nearby Metro station for her trip to the Pentagon that morning.


Odessa was a Budget Analyst working for the Department of the Army on the fateful morning of 9/11. Her "short work day" on that morning was her last day - as the terrorists of 9/11 crashed a plane into the side of the Pentagon. The side where Odessa worked.


After hearing of the attack, it took her husband hours of calling and searching to learn that she was missing. I cannot imagine the feelings going through his mind at that moment - wondering if it was too much to hope for, but probably holding on to the only thing he had - hope.


Odessa loved animals, and she loved to cook, and she had a relationship with Jesus Christ - which means she is residing in Heaven now. Hopefully that brings some comfort to her family. She left behind her husband of 25 years and 3 children, now grown. But nothing, even the passing of time, can fill the void and the hole in each of their souls that was taken the day that Odessa was killed in the Pentagon.


There are so many tribute pages to the victims on 9/11 on the internet now. I have provided links to a few here. If you are so inclined, leave a tribute to Odessa on one of these.

As for me, I have thought about her a lot since deciding to blog a tribute to a victim on 9/11. Having walked the halls of the Pentagon myself, I know exactly where she was when the Pentagon was hit. I have been in many of the offices that were destroyed by that attack. While I knew no one personally who died on 9/11, I feel like I know Odessa V. Morris a little bit better now.

So 9/11 will always be a bittersweet day for the Morris family and when I think of 9/11 and everything our country experienced that day, I will say a prayer for her family to have peace during this trying time and remember her with smiles and laughter.

But never forget. Never forget what they did and those who died. Remember the victims with honor and the agressors with hatred. Hatred for what they took from us and what they did to us. Always remember.


http://terroristattack.com/messages.php?id=2049

http://www.legacy.com/Sept11.asp?Page=Story&PersonID=93707


2 comments:

Hokie Gal said...

This was very moving. Thanks for posting it.

Anonymous said...

I am the eldest child of Odessa Morris. I am so very touched that you have chosen to write a blog post to honor my mom. Over the past few years, I have googled her name to find what information is out there on the web and I have never come across this one until now. This tragedy was a tremendous blow to our family. When I look back now, I believe the reason my father, siblings and I have gotten through these 12 years is because strangers across the world have been praying for our comfort. It is with posts like these I do believe humans are generally good although we are born into sin. This year was particularly difficult for me for some reason, and reading this tonight really made me smile. Thanks for sending love our way. God bless you and your lovely family.