Do we remember or have we forgotten?

I am very sure that every American can remember vividly where they were and what they were doing on the horrid day we now refer to as 9/11. I’ll never forget seeing the events unfold on television. Shock and disbelief came out in the forms of tears and anger, while I watched along with my flight attendant roommates. A few of us had been laid off, in the airline industry, a few weeks prior to 9/11.

The anniversary of September 11th brings with it traumatic flashbacks to a very scary time in American history. It’s a day when we all realized that we were no longer invisible here in America and that evil truly does exist in the world. We learned that the unthinkable could happen when we least expect it.

We also learned that every day people could be heroes as we watched many of them rush into the burning buildings. We heard stories of those unsung heroes who were on board the planes or the ones who helped people in the twin towers but never made it out alive.  First responders also ran towards the danger and did their best to save as many lives as they could, even losing many of their own in the process. Military personnel reacted quickly and stood on guard for orders, ready to take on anyone and anything that would harm our beautiful country and the people in it.

9/11 is a reminder that even during one of the most destructive terrorist attacks in US history, we all came together in America. As a country, we prayed, we cried, we raised money, we donated, we held vigils, and we vowed that we would stand together to fight evil that existed within our borders and beyond.

The unity we shared made the tragedy of September 11th a little less painful.  It brought a glimpse of comfort to us all during such a frightening time. That’s America the beautiful! We are the country that prevails during times of tragedy.  It’s sad that it takes tragedies to bridge us all back together again as one.

The divisiveness that exists today is a far cry from the unity that came from such a terrible moment in America. How would all of those who lost their lives from 9/11 look at us now? Would they be proud? Would they shed tears knowing that the very evil sent to destroy us then has birthed another attack on us? Now, America is dealing with an attack within our own spirits in the form of division, making us forget that we were ever once a united country.

How can we honor the many heroes of 9/11? We can all start with simple acts of kindness and compassion. We can stand up for what we believe in without hurting each other. We can open up dialogue with those we disagree with and show empathy and understanding. We can listen instead of getting offended and throwing a tantrum. We can try to understand where someone else, with a different background than our own, is coming from. We can lend a helping hand to others & once again be “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2018.