9/11 Never Forget, A Letter of Memories and Moments
Written by Christopher J. Ryan
Today is September 11th.
It's been 12 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. This hits close to home for many people, across the board. The truth is: this is an international moment and tragedy, because the World Trade Center was a global hub for business; this is an American moment because of the change in sentiment and challenge to our identity; but most importantly, 9/11 is a collection of individual moments and memories we all experienced differently.
On September 11, 2001, I was 13 years old. I thought about my experience on this morning 12 years ago. I remember my teacher, the math class I was in, the school going on lockdown and no access to the outside world. It wasn't until I was home that I could see what was actually happening and at that age, my hands were too small to grasp the gravity of it all. Throughout the day, parents were pulling their children out of school.
I spoke with my editor this morning about the 9/11 attacks and how different our experiences were, though the event was the same. She remembers how quiet the drive home from work was with travel being limited, her husband who is a firefighter and the loss of a family friend who was never found. We couldn't fathom that 12 years have passed either, but coming together to share feelings and experiences made us a little bit closer and a little more understanding.
We can never erase what happened, nor can we turn back the hands of time but we will also never forget. The memories we have will survive history and continue to breathe in our community, to forage onward.
Through all the pain, loss and suffering, I think it's up to us to keep the spirit of our moments and experiences alive – an expression of meaning and purpose unlike any other. In the same way we survived the awful events at the World Trade Center, we must share our experiences. What will be written in history books is only part of the story. If you're reading this, you have the tools to tell your story. Every year, for me, this is a time to reflect and listen to the stories and memories of those we lost and things we found in ourselves.
Some people say there are no words for what happened, but these memories resonate through the world, United States, New York and Long Island communities. Bless everyone for creating new shared memories together in remembrance of times like these and all that we have in front of us.
Come together,
Christopher
