I remember so vividly the years when the boys were little and, on this day, I purposefully didn’t turn on the TV or radio. I couldn’t bear for their innocent minds and pure hearts to be introduced to the horror of the real world in that way. As they grew older and began to learn about 9/11 in school, I was careful to emphasize the helpers – the firefighters, first responders, strangers who ran toward danger – that were such a powerful reminder of beauty amid tragedy. Now, those babies I tried to shield are a teenager and a young adult. Time keeps moving forward.
For the boys, who did not live through 9/11 and don’t have its images etched in their minds, visiting Ground Zero in 2018 was profoundly important. They saw things that felt unbelievable… demolished fire trucks, twisted steel, and elevator motors… visual proof of devastation on a scale they had never imagined. For Honey and me, standing on that sacred ground, seeing the last column still standing, was surreal.
We had a guide that day who narrated the events with deep sensitivity. Honey and I learned details we hadn’t known before, and seeing the boys enthralled, listening to voices from the past… it was powerful.
I don’t think adult Americans will ever wake up on 9/11 without remembering exactly where they were. I was at work in downtown Atlanta at Coke, on the 11th floor, when everything on TV broke. We were herded into a conference room, watching in horror, realizing we were just human beings in a terrible moment: coworkers, leaders, interns, maintenance workers – all of us suddenly united in fear and grief. We were, simply, Americans.
Hearing the stories of the helpers and seeing the beautiful pieces of remembrance were reassurances that there are beautiful, good, kind and wonderful people in this world and that we should be incredibly proud to be Americans.
And now, with news of yesterday’s school shooting and the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk, my heart breaks again. When I heard the sentiment that the America of 9/11/01 would be saddened by the America of 9/11/25, I felt a fierce ache of truth in that statement. So much hate and hurt. It stings to think we’ve come so far in years, but made so very little progress.
Lord, be near.
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Thank you for such a heartfelt and lovely post. It’s been a terrible, terrible week. I am praying for God’s hand to help unify our country.