Remembering Hope and Gratitute on 9/11

It's almost impossible to believe that eight years have passed since the Twin Towers fell and changed the nation forever. Yes, Sept. 11 was a horrifying day filled with sadness, trauma, agony and pain, but in the days, weeks, months and years that have followed we saw, and continue to see, something else emerge ... hope.

In an article prepared for the New York Daily News, President Barack Obama reminds us that, "every year on this day, we are all New Yorkers." He also illuminated some of the good that came out of that numbing day. "Indeed, amid the carnage and heartbreak of that tragic day in September, we also experienced a profound sense of community and witnessed a vivid display of those values, as first responders raced toward chaos, as Americans lined up to donate blood, as young people signed up to serve their country -- as old divides seemed to fade away and America stood as one."

The New York Times also reminded us that our worst fears about a post-9/11 world never came to pass, a fact that should make us profoundly grateful. NYC feared tourists would never set foot in a city scarred by tragedy. But they returned. People believed the FDNY could never recover from the loss of 343 firefighters. But it rebuilt itself, while never forgetting the brothers and sisters they lost. Many believed no one would ever feel comfortable working in a skyscraper again, but the workers bravely went back to their desks.

On this Sept. 11, the rain came down and the wind disturbed the flags in Lower Manhattan as people somberly read the names of those lost. The weather could not have been more different than it was that crystal clear day eight years ago, but NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg reminded the gathered crowd that this anniversary also a day of celebration, a time to remember the many lives well lived.

So today we remember and we mourn, but also feel profound gratitude for the chance to live our own lives, undoubtedly well-lived.

Photo courtesy of tome213 via stock.xchang.