We Will Never Forget


It's hard to believe that it's been three years since that fateful day. It is a day that no one will ever forget. It is a day that ranks up there with the many "where were you and what were you doing when....?" For the older generations, this fill in the blank could be completed with Kennedy's assassination or Pearl Harbor. My generation will recall the Challenger explosion and for those living in San Francisco, the 7.1 Quake that rocked the Bay. Today's generation will remember the Columbine shootings or the Oklahoma City bombing. For all of these tragedies, it is utterly impossible to rank which was the worst because these were events that should not have happened at all.


On September 11, 2001, our nation was changed forever. To watch the horror unfold before our very eyes is something that will remain with us forever. It's ironic, yet wonderful how a tragedy so great can bring so many people together. The entire country was glued to their TV sets as if holding solmemn vigil for anyone who might have survived. We grieved for the victims and for those who were left behind. We cried for the many firefighters and police officers who risked and lost their lives to save others only to realize that we have taken them for granted for the real heroes they are on a daily basis. We cried even harder as we heard story after story of a survivor's tale, how they miraculously escaped death, and how their friends, coworkers, and loved ones weren't so lucky.


Though it was three years ago, the memory is still fresh in my mind. The images on TV are still difficult to watch and never fail to trigger an emotion that has not yet healed. To say that we have been blesssed because of this tragedy seems inappropriate, but the matter of the fact remains that we are. Families are a lot closer than they were before, parents are spending more time with their children, people are taking the time to say I Love You, and more and more people are thanking God (or a god) that they never believed in before.


I just want to take a moment to remember and honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day in September. May you all rest in peace and may you all continue to smile down on your loved ones from heaven.