On this day 18 years ago, our lives were forever changed. What started as a normal summer morning turned out to be the day that would shape the rest of our lives.
I remember staring in disbelief as we watched news coverage of the terrorist attacks unfolding before our eyes. I remember the eerie silence draped over the classroom of usually rambunctious teenage boys in my high school’s intro to technology class. I remember getting home early and hugging my mom and wondering how someone could commit such malicious acts of hatred.
But out of the ashes of malice rose a resounding sense of national pride, one that bonded us together not through race, gender, sexuality, or religion, but through the fact that we are Americans.
Today, we honor and remember those brave men and women who rushed headfirst into danger to save countless lives. And we also mourn the losses of those who could not escape and lift up the families they left behind.
Hold your loved ones a little closer today.
