09/12/2026
Yesterday, we remembered September 11, 2001.
Today, I think it’s worth remembering September 12th, too.
America woke up hurting. Thousands of families were waiting for news that would never come. First responders were still digging through the rubble, and nobody really knew what came next.
But something remarkable happened.
People stood in line for hours to donate blood. Strangers brought food, water and supplies to people they had never met. Construction workers, nurses, firefighters, police officers and everyday Americans showed up asking one simple question:
“How can I help?”
The response was so overwhelming that the American Red Cross received more than one million calls to its blood-donation line.
For a moment, the things that normally separated us didn’t seem nearly as important.
We were neighbors. We were Americans. And when someone was hurting, people showed up.
25 years later, maybe remembering 9/11 also means remembering what happened on 9/12 — and asking ourselves whether we can find a little more of that spirit again without needing a tragedy to bring it out.
Never forget 9/11. And maybe we shouldn’t forget what happened on 9/12 either. 🇺🇸
