09/11/2025
24 years. 8,766 days. 210,384 hours…
September 11th, 2001 remains etched in our memories. Today, I pause to honor the lives taken that day, and the countless others whose lives were forever changed. I especially hold close the memory of the 403 first responders who sacrificed everything to save others.
What has always stood out to me about that day—and the months that followed—is how the American spirit endured through tragedy. We leaned on each other, set aside differences, and stood together as one nation.
Two decades later, I sometimes worry that we’ve drifted further apart as a country. When we say “never forget,” most of us think of the lives we lost—and rightly so. But I also believe we should never forget the way we came together. On September 12th, and in the weeks that followed, our focus wasn’t on what separated us, but on what united us: that we are all Americans, living in the greatest country in the world.
The forces that fueled those attacks still exist, and there are those who wish to see our nation divided. But if we hold on to the unity and resilience we showed in those days after 9/11, their goal will never be achieved.
So today, I pray we each take a moment to remember not only the pain of that day, but also the strength, courage, and unity it brought out in us.
“to tell the world about, the way the lights went out, and keep the memory alive.”
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
