![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Having just observed the first anniversary of the tragic death of our daughter, I suddenly find myself confronted by the impending tenth anniversary of the incredible tragedy of 11 September 2001. My younger daughter was not quite 7 months old on that fateful day, and as I watch the specials about the preparations of the memorial in New York on the Discovery Channel, I find myself with a clearer appreciation for the families of those that died on that day. Our grief, as powerful as it is to us, is dwarfed by the magnitude of sadness of ten years ago.
I remember how powerfully I felt the impact of the images I saw on television that day. I was only three years removed from my own volunteer career in Emergency Services, so that the deaths of the fire fighters and paramedics that day were especially personal to me. It hardly seemed possible to me at the time, and I could easily put myself in the boots of those that ran into those towers that day, hoping to make a difference in the lives of those in harm's way. I spent that afternoon sitting in front of the television, watching the video of the collapsing towers, over and over again.
Now, almost ten years later, I look back, and I still feel a bit of that pain and shock. I still find it hard to believe that those buildings failed so catastrophically. I still feel anger towards those that planned and executed these attacks. But at the same time, I'm embarrassed by many of the things my nation has done in response.
All of this has faded with the passage of time, and last year's personal tragedy has overpowered those lingering emotions from a decade earlier. But our sorrow was the result of a tragic accident. The deaths of 11 September 2001 were the result of a callously premeditated attack. We've managed to find healing by focusing on the positive memories of our daughter and in the tremendous support we've found in our family, friends and community. I can only pray that the families that died that awful day in New York, Pennsylvania and Arlington, VA can find similar memories to comfort and heal them. Certainly they can be sure that their loved ones will never be forgotten.
I remember how powerfully I felt the impact of the images I saw on television that day. I was only three years removed from my own volunteer career in Emergency Services, so that the deaths of the fire fighters and paramedics that day were especially personal to me. It hardly seemed possible to me at the time, and I could easily put myself in the boots of those that ran into those towers that day, hoping to make a difference in the lives of those in harm's way. I spent that afternoon sitting in front of the television, watching the video of the collapsing towers, over and over again.
Now, almost ten years later, I look back, and I still feel a bit of that pain and shock. I still find it hard to believe that those buildings failed so catastrophically. I still feel anger towards those that planned and executed these attacks. But at the same time, I'm embarrassed by many of the things my nation has done in response.
All of this has faded with the passage of time, and last year's personal tragedy has overpowered those lingering emotions from a decade earlier. But our sorrow was the result of a tragic accident. The deaths of 11 September 2001 were the result of a callously premeditated attack. We've managed to find healing by focusing on the positive memories of our daughter and in the tremendous support we've found in our family, friends and community. I can only pray that the families that died that awful day in New York, Pennsylvania and Arlington, VA can find similar memories to comfort and heal them. Certainly they can be sure that their loved ones will never be forgotten.
Tags:
