15 years. It’s been 15 years.
And 15 years later, I still get emotional. I still get pissed. I still hate the ones who did it.
But I had no connection to any of the victims. I didn’t have a parent who was in one of the towers. My best friend wasn’t working in the Pentagon. My significant other wasn’t on one of the planes. But for thousands of other people, that was a reality. For those who lost their loved ones, I can’t even imagine what they must’ve felt. What they still feel. How they still hurt.
There are other things I remember about September 11, 2001. Things that make my heart swell with pride and my eyes fill with tears.
The selflessness the world witnessed that day was unprecedented. People from all walks of life stepped up to help in any way they could. Firefighters and first responders rushed into the hell that was Lower Manhattan on that day with zero regard for their own safety. Thousands of other first responders from across the country volunteered to go help with the rescue effort. Two retired soldiers slapped on their fatigues and thrust themselves into the chaos to search for survivors through unstable rubble. Fear-stricken passengers on United 93 facing certain death mustered the courage to fight back against the hijackers and prevent them from robbing even more innocent people of their lives. A man with no emergency response training working in the South Tower took it upon himself to guide survivors to safety, refusing to evacuate himself (Seriously watch this). And these are just a few examples.
It’s the stories like these that I choose to remember about that sickeningly devastating day. Stories of sacrifice and bravery that represent the essence of good in human beings. They represent the stark contrast of the evil that was present on that day. They defy that evil and spit right in its ugly face.
Most of all, I remember the response of the American people. Never in my life have I personally seen individuals so unified. Though I was young and couldn’t fully appreciate it at the time, I now recognize how special that was. It didn’t matter if you were black or white, republican or democrat, atheist or true believer; people embraced each other as one unified label: American. We hurt for our fallen countrymen and countrywomen and we wanted justice.
It saddens me to no end that it took an event like this to ignite such a response, but it was, nonetheless, something special.
I wish that day had never happened. I wish that all the victims were still alive and spending this beautiful afternoon with their loved ones. I wish that September 11, 2001 went down in history as “just another day.” But, unfortunately, that isn't the case. It is a reality. And it’s also a reminder. A reminder to hold your loved ones close. Don’t take a day – or even a single moment – for granted. Live life to its fullest and appreciate our time here on this earth for what it is: a brief but beautiful gift.
It also serves as another reminder. We can be united. We can listen to one another and appreciate each other. We can recognize our differences and embrace our diversity – in opinion, in religion, in everything – as strength, not weakness.
I hope and pray that Americans can unify once again like we did in that dark time, but under no such circumstances. We need no more reminders rooted in tragedy of what Americans are capable of. American unity does not have to come from disaster.
No matter how many anniversaries pass, I will always remember that day. I will always remember the heroes. And I will always remember our American response.
I will always remember.