On this, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the tragedy is still all too fresh. Seeing the terrible pain and the terrible impact on the lives of those who survived is heart-rending and devastating. Moreover, when I say survivors, I mean the families of those who died or were directly affected as well; especially the children.
Watching the memorials in the last few days brought it all back and it was somewhat surreal to realize how long, and at the same time, how recent this was; not to mention just how much it has changed our everyday lives.
Oddly, I could not help but remember the one “good” thing that happened during this initial time after 9/11. That was the unity of Americans. We broke out our American flags, flew them on our cars and homes; we showed our support financially and morally in every way we could; we became one; we were Americans.
Oh, I know I was fleeting as the reality of the day-to-day crept in; as the politicians used this patriotism to the advantage; as people could not avoid laying blame (sometimes appropriate, sometimes not). Not to mention that vast divide we see amongst people today, 20 years later.
But I will not digress as I am wont to do. For that short window in time, we came together, united as one, to stand against our foes, ready to do what it took. At the time, it was just tragic, but in retrospect this is one little tiny nugget of good that I take from that day.
