09/11/2026
I will always remember September 11th, 2001.
But I worry that as the years pass, we are beginning to forget not only what happened that day, but what it felt like in the days, weeks and months that followed.
I was in first period of my freshman year of high school when they turned on the tube TV in the corner of our classroom. The first plane had struck.
Two hours later, in second period, the second plane hit.
I was young, but I was old enough to understand that something terrible had happened. And I was old enough to witness what came next.
What followed was something I have never experienced again in my lifetime. Our country came together in a way I had never seen before.
We stood together. We looked out for one another. We flew our flag. We supported our first responders. And for a moment, being an American felt like something that united all of us.
I am grateful I was old enough to witness it. Grateful that it left an impact on my life, my heart, and gave me a sense of pride in my country that I will always carry with me.
My father was a firefighter. Thankfully, he finished his career and came home.
For the first time since 9/11, I feel like the memory is beginning to fade.
It is our responsibility, those of us who witnessed it, to share not only the tragedy, but the unity it created. To remind the next generation what it meant to come together, to appreciate what we have, and to never take for granted the things we think we will always have.
Take a moment today.
Remember.
Honor those we lost. Honor those who ran toward danger. And remember what it meant for our country to stand together.
God bless America. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
