Ten years ago today lives were changed forever. It is difficult to believe that the 9-11 tragedy happened so long ago, yet still resonates so loudly with many of us. My husband and I watched a documentary the other evening and I was moved to tears as the events of the day were recalled.
Although 9-11 was a day of fear, desperation, confusion and sorrow, I watched this documentary and at the end, I had a sense of pride.
I saw the story of a man who was trying to escape from the twin towers and stopped to save another man. Putting his own life in jeopardy, he took the time to give help to another and they both lived to tell their story.
I felt pride when the wives of the men aboard Flight 93 were interviewed and I heard the first hand account of how they decided to save whomever they could on the ground that day, by storming the cockpit of terrorists on the airplane. They knew their fate. They knew what the outcome would be. They did it anyway.
I watched another story of eight firemen who didn’t leave the side of an elderly woman stuck in one of the twin towers although she told them to leave her and go on to save themselves.
I felt pride when I heard a telephone operator tell the story of how she and one of the men aboard Flight 93 bonded during the last hour of his life. I heard how she didn’t hang up the phone for 15 minutes after she knew it had crashed because she kept hoping he would return to the phone.
I saw men raising the American flag in the midst of fire, smoke, and ruins.
I saw strangers embracing in the streets of NYC.
Through this entire disaster, we proved that there is still faith in humanity. We proved that we do care about one another and that we will unite despite our differences when others are in need. I felt pride in my country.
Today I pray for the friends, families, co-workers, heroes and strangers who did not survive the 9-11 attacks. I pray for those who did, but whose lives have never been the same.
Where were you on 9-11-01? What do you remember most? What will you never forget? Whose lives will you honor?
We will always remember.
