It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years. An entire generation has now grown up knowing September 11th only through history books, documentaries, photographs and the stories told by those of us who lived through it.
It’s an important piece of our nation’s history. The famous quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” was written by the philosopher George Santayana in his 1905 work The Life of Reason. We could use that reminder too, 121 years later.
For so many of us, September 11, 2001 isn’t something we simply learned about or read about. We watched it unfold. We remember exactly where we were when we heard the news. We remember watching the television in disbelief, calling the people we loved and feeling a mixture of fear, sadness and uncertainty that’s still difficult to put into words all these years later.
And we remember the days that followed, too. The heartbreak was overwhelming, but so was the way people came together. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Strangers helped strangers. American flags flying EVERYWHERE.
Twenty-five years later, we remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the families whose lives changed forever, the first responders who ran toward danger and the countless acts of courage and kindness that followed.
For those who weren’t alive yet, we must tell their stories. For those of us who remember, we never forget. September 11, 2001.
