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Eleven years ago, two of our country’s most prized towers, two pillars of prosperity, stood up solid and strong, a hundred and ten stories tall, in the morning light of just another beautiful summer morning. No one could have expected that those twin monuments of national pride, or the pentagon, would be the target of the most horrific terrorist attacks of the 20th century.
So where are we now? How much bounce back has our society achieved since we bottomed out so hard together on those terrible speed bumps of Sept.11th? Some of us have succumbed, free-falling into the shadows that we ourselves continue to cast. Most argue that we have grown stronger as a nation, resolute and ready to prevail over any and all oncoming threat, be it foreign or domestic. Some dwell in the sorrow and pain of what could happen, while others strive to face every adversity head on. Some still shake at the prospect of leaving ourselves open on the backside, while others are genuinely more determined to shake off the chains that imprison our souls.
Sept. 11th can now evolve into a day of remembrance for the greatest moments of our lives. Think birth dates and wedding anniversaries, days of happiness, to remember for the joy. Life goes on one day at a time, both before and after a single bad snapshot. Those who survived the Twin Towers attack my think of Sept. 11th as a day of being re-born, a day to remember when neighbors, friends and people they never knew before came to their rescue. We came together as family, as Americans, helping, and holding each other up, at one of the darkest, most desperate moments in anyone’s lifetime. But more often than not, a lifetime can be very long.
The events years ago were intended to break us, to destroy our nation’s spirit. Evil came calling, trying to shake us to the core, to expose our weakness as a people. But we as a nation are unbroken. We have carried on simply by living each day, by celebrating every day. The tragedy of Sept. 11th, confirms our goodness and our strength. So happy birthday to those born on 9/11. Happy Anniversary. Happy first day of school, happy first day of retirement. Congratulations on closing escrow, and for getting the kids to soccer practice on time, and for landing that new job. Congratulations on being alive America, and for living each day to the fullest. Sept. 11th 2012 promises to be a good day. Next Sept. 11th is going to be even better.
