A time to remember …

It’s a day that is burned into our memories forever. 9-11 will forever mean something different than it did 10 years and a day ago. It’s a day of terror, horror, fear, disaster, sadness, heartbreak … but it will also always be a day of heroism, a day that we saw the ability of the amazing human spirit to triumph, love, serve and pull together in the face of trial. It’s that spirit and the strength of individuals bonding together that makes us great.

I want my girls (Alyssa was just a year old when 9-11 occurred, the other two not born yet) to know what happened, to understand the terror and tragedy of that day but also to learn from history and to be aware of others and their feelings, opinions and needs, to love and serve others. I want them to understand that the daily trials and experiences we have in our lives, whether quiet personal trials or world-wide news are not the end of the world but are a part of life given to us to build our character and refine us like the refiner’s fire. And I want them to know the power each of us holds to rise up out of the ashes of disaster or trial, to triumph over evil and to have faith and hope in the darkness that sometimes surrounds us. The human spirit is incredibly strong, a gift from our Heavenly Father to help us through this life.

Stories of fire fighters, police, and men and women who were part of the community … those who reached out and helped someone who was injured, who guided someone to safety, who pulled someone inside a store to help them avoid the debris flying toward them, who searched for those lost, who held out their arms to those who were lost, scared or saddened by loss, who entered the building time and time again to get people out, who stayed inside the building with a bullhorn to guide people to safety.

Today, I was struck by the story of a man who saved thousands because he cared about his job for years before 9-11. He was director of security for a company in the twin towers and took his job seriously, conducting regular evacuations and then, when the crash happened, he ordered everyone to follow that evacuation plan and sent them down the stairs, saving thousands of lives. He used a bullhorn to find employees and guide them to safety only to return multiple times to save others, eventually losing his own life when the towers collapsed.

But many un-sung heroes were there, day-to-day people who just stepped up because there was a need. Thank you to each of them. And to all the heroes, I say thank you and I promise to do my part to keep alive the memory of 9-11, its heroes and lost ones and support those who fight and risk their lives for our freedom every day.