Remembering 9/11

As we get older, it gets harder to remember details of events that have enfluenced our lives but there are some events which have such an impact on us that the details are indelibly stamped on our memory - not only so we won't forget but so we will be changed by it. The day of September 11, 2001, is one of those days.

I was watching Good Morning, America, while getting ready to go to work and saw the planes hit the World Trade Centers, not fully understanding what was happening. I stopped on the way to work to mail a package to my daughter Amy who was getting married in a few weeks and I was told about the other two planes and that it was determined that our country was being attacked by terrorists.

I remember calling my children who were spread out over three states to make sure they were okay and as the hours went by, I remember that the horror of the situation began to sink in as we all watched for endless hours the pictures of the tragedy which were displayed over and over , maybe in part so that we would not ever forget.

I believe that we cannot live in fear and despair and that we do a disservice to those who lost their lives if we do not learn from the experience and that we look for some good - even if it is just good lessons to be learned.

One lesson is that our time on this earth is fragile. We never know when we leave for work on any given morning whether or not we will return home so we should remember to treat every person we see as if it may be the last time we will have an opportunity to let them know how much they mean to us.

Another lesson we should learn out of such a tragic experience is that that the human spirit in America cannot be destroyed by anyone - especially terrorists. If you don't believe that, revisit the tapes that show hundreds of firefighters going up the stairs to rescue people when going down the stairs to get out would have made much more sense.

And finally, savor every moment you have with your family and those you love. Don't let the fast-paced world of work and responsibility consume you and consume all of your time. Take every opportunity you possibly can to spend time creating memories - which at some point may be the only thing you have left of your time together.

If we do not learn from 9/11, much that was lost will have been in vain.