And Then We Cried...

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Alfred P. Murrah Building bombing.

After the events of this past week with Jamie Rose Bolin, emotions are easily brought to the surface.


There were 168 people killed. 19 of them were children.

30 children were orphaned and 219 children lost at least one parent.


I was at home at 9:02 A.M. on April 19, 1995. I was homeschooling at the time and living outside of Guthrie, Oklahoma. We were a good 50 miles away from downtown Oklahoma City.

We heard a muffled boom, then the house shook slightly and the windows rattled.

Thinking that it was some form of distant thunder, perhaps a sonic boom(?), I looked outside to see bright blue skies.

I then turned on the television...

and the horrifying story began to unfold before our very eyes.

First there is shock and disbelief...

Then there is action...

Followed by emotional and physical exhaustion...

And then we cried.

Thank you to the 12,384 volunteers and rescue workers.

Especially to Rebecca Anderson who died rescuing survivors from the rubble.






The photograph was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and was taken by Charles H. Porter, IV.





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