Another September 11 is upon us.
Today is the day of the week that I normally post. It wasn’t in me to post anything other than something about 9/11.
I’ve been putting a lot of effort into being mindful this year. As the anniversary of 9/11 comes again, I realize that the events of September 11 are never something that takes any effort for me to be mindful of. The words “September 11” bring a flood of memories to my mind immediately, every time.
Like most of us, I’ll never forget where I was when I heard, as well as many details from that day and the days, weeks, and months that followed.
I was in New York City when the planes struck. I was at a breakfast meeting in midtown, a few miles north of the towers. I was eating with a gentleman whose daughter escaped from the towers. I won’t forget his panic as he told me that his daughter was down there. To make her long story short, she has recovered significantly from the post-traumatic stress that she suffered from the experience.
I’ve got my own story from that day. It’s a story of fear, sadness, and confusion, but as my good fortune would have it, it’s not one that includes the loss of a loved one.
Every September 11, I attend the memorial service in my town. I’ll do that again today. One young man from our town perished in the towers. I didn’t know Chris, but eleven years later—eleven memorial services later—I feel like I did know him.
This summer I went to the national 9/11 Memorial. It’s incredibly intense. I’ve attached a photo as today’s featured image, but as I learned from my own experience, photos do not do it justice. I strongly urge you to check it out if you are in New York. Admission is free, but you need a ticket (a visitor’s pass.) You can schedule your visit here.
My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone who lost a loved one on 9/11. May you have peace and may we all experience peace in our time.
My warmest regards,
David
p.s. I welcome your comments, as always…