JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Sept. 11, 2001, Marjorie Farley said goodbye to her daughter.
"I remember driving away and saying, 'See you later,' and saying, 'Have a good trip,' and she said, 'Have a good trip. I love you,' and that was it," Farley said.
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Farley cherishes the moment before her daughter, Paige, boarded an American Airlines flight on that fateful September day.
"I knew almost from the moment that I heard it was an American Airlines plane that had left Boston at 8:15 (a.m.), I knew that was her flight, and I just hoped she missed it, but obviously she didn't," Farley said.
At 46 years old, Paige was dead after her plane struck the north tower, an image forever remembered by Americans.
Kat Nesbit's mother, Betty, was working in the north tower just nine stories down from where the plane Paige was on struck.
"To me, the lost and the devastation was just so grand, and although it was not yet extremely personal, it was very personal," Nesbit said.
For hours after that first plane hit, Nesbit had no idea her mother was working in the tower, but when she finally realized it, she knew her 62-year-old mom did not survive.
"I went, 'Wow, of course. Who would be left after what you just saw?'" Nesbit said.
Nesbit and Farley, who both live on St. Simons Island, Ga., met for the first time Friday during a radio interview at WJCT in Jacksonville, two days before the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. They were brought together by a patriotic poet, Terry Herbert, to speak about their loss.
They said they've discovered a bond shared with the entire country.
"I don't think we've learned a great deal from it, except the thing that both Kat and I discovered is that it's amazing how people come around to help and care about you," Farley said.
"I think the good thing, I know that sounds odd, but the good thing about Sept. 11 is it allows us to jointly share and comfort grief because we all know on some level what that is," Nesbit said.
As the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Farley and Nesbit said the national tragedy still feels like yesterday.
And as they reflect on the lives of their loved ones, they say they have no profound words of wisdom. They just hope people remember to never take life for granted.