Never Forgotten

Last September 11th I was reading an article about the tragic events of that day with my fourth graders, and I got so choked up I could hardly finish. My eyes swam with tears as I tried to convey the emotions that accompanied that horrific day. And while those children weren't even born in September of 2001 and couldn't really grasp the grievousness of that day, those children have lived with and dealt with the repercussions of September 11th from the moment of their birth. Those children were born into a post September 11th world. A world that was forever changed in a matter of minutes.

The memories of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 are so vivid and clear. I remember everything as if it happened yesterday morning. I remember all the normal everyday things that continued while our world seemed to collapse around us . . . while we tried to piece together what was going on. I remember watching the towers fall while sitting on the sofa with my roommates. We were all in tears. I remember the professor who dismissed class because all of us, her included, were in such a state of shock. I remember the statistics professor who carried on as if nothing had happened. I remember feeling angry because she didn't even acknowledge the tragic events of the day. I understand now what I didn't understand then, sometimes in the face of such tragedy the greatest act of courage is to carry on.

I remember the heroes, those who sacrificed themselves to save others. I remember the bravery of that day. I remember the way America stood together and out of the rubble and the ashes and the destruction came unity.

May we never let the events of September 11, 2001 become just a day on a page in a history book. May we always remember the pain, the tears, the strength, and the pride that came from that day. May we wear our battle scars with pride. Because you see no matter what may come or has come we are and will always be America.