REMEMBERING, REFLECTING, HONORING AND MOURNING THE FALLEN ON SEPTEMBER 11TH
"Time is passing. Yet for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children."
... George W Bush
It's been 22 years since that horrific day on September 11th, 2001. Even after 22 years I still remember how that day as if it was yesterday. September 11th, 2001 is a day that fundamentally changed all of our lives. And although on 9/11 we knew our lives had changed most likely forever, we at that time didn't yet really know how much they would change. Many of those changes have sadly become the "new normal" for us.
The memories of one of the darkest days in American history are 22 years later crystal clear in my mind's eye. It seems like yesterday that we were witnessing the events of September 11, 2001 unfold. I still remember the first shock. I still remember the fear that came with not being able to reach friends and family by phone (especially those who worked in or near the Twin Towers). I still remember getting through the day without a lot of emotion -- just shock -- and suddenly around 6:00 pm starting to weep. Here we are, 22 years later, marking another anniversary of that tragic day. It feels like yesterday. And I think it will always feel like yesterday to me.
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
... Barack Obama
Almost 3,000 lives were lost on September 11th. But did you know the U.S. government now believes more people have died due to 9/11-related illnesses than those who died during the initial attacks? Such a sobering fact and one that shows that 9/11 is by no means "behind us."
"9/11 - a day to remember that extraordinary heroes are often disguised as ordinary people and that spirit and soul are unbreakable."
... Stacey Alcorn
One day 9/11 will become "ancient" history to future generations (20+% of Americans have no memory of that day). But so long as those of us who lived through that day are around, WE MUST NEVER FORGET! I could and will never forget! Today, 22 years later, tears still come to my eyes when I think of that day.
My Personal Relationship With The Twin Towers
“On that terrible day, a nation became a neighborhood, all Americans became New Yorkers.”
... George Pataki
New York City is my "home town." I knew the Twin Towers well, having often walked through their doors for business meetings when I was working in the corporate world. But even before that, I remember watching those two towers be built. We celebrated my mother's 70th birthday there in 1989, at the restaurant at the top of the Towers. My husband and I had flown in from Paris, where we were living at the time, to surprise her. It was such a fun and happy evening, never to be forgotten. The first time I returned to NYC after the towers fell, driving in from LaGuardia Airport was surreal seeing the skyline without the towers in the distance. Seeing those towers in the distance was always my signal that I was almost home. I can't forget my shock coming out of the subway at the foot of the old World Trade Center and seeing a big hole in the ground instead the towers.
“I was in New York on September 11 when those planes hit the World Trade Center. At the time, it seemed like it was a local thing. But three or four days later, by the time we drove across the country in the bus, we realized it wasn’t a local thing. You could really feel the states become united. We became the United States of America.”
... John Madden
To those many who lost a loved one that day, my heart and prayers continue to go out to you. I know you suffered losses that can never be replaced. Today, on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, let's take a moment to remember all the heroes of that day -- those who perished, those who survived, and those who continue to suffer. Let's make sure these deaths were not in vain.
"September 11 is one of our worst days, but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed our charitable instincts and reminded us of what we stood for and stand for."
... Senator Lamar Alexander
And as we look back, today is also a good day to take a moment today to reflect on the things that are most important in our lives and to remember that through tragedy we have the opportunity to rise even stronger.
LET US NEVER FORGET... LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER, REFLECT, HONOR AND MOURN!
"September 11th impressed upon us that life is a precious gift... and I think we all have a duty to devote at least a small portion of our daily lives to ensuring that neither American nor the the world ever forgets September 11th."
Senator Bill Frist
LET US NEVER FORGET!
LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS ETERNAL VIGILANCE!
May God Bless Those Who Died And Their Families.
May God Bless America!
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