We all have dates that we remember, for one reason or another. All of us remember our birthdays; some of us even remember our mother’s. We remember holidays, car crashes, the passing of loved ones, weddings, births, and probably the year Christopher Columbus found North America.
Throughout history, the ratio of happy endings to tragedies has always been a harsh reality. Wives kissed sailors goodbye, not knowing how many seasons would pass before their return..Families watched soldiers gather their weapons and march away..Mothers buried sons, children grew up fatherless. Death has always surrounded us, and is as much a part of our life as our existence is.
September 11th is a day I remember as a vague memory; there is merely acquired feeling attached to it, as I was only 11 years old when the Trade Centers fell. Death to me held little meaning beyond the realm of temporary goldfish. As I have grown up, I have come to respect the significance of that day. For many people, that day defines their lives more than their birthday or anniversary does. Some wounds will never heal until time has made that date into only a notation in a history book. It was that day, however, that created the vow to “never forget”, in the hearts of Americans. It was that day that defined the fate of thousands of lives to come.
This week, 31 more of those marked lives were lost. They will never be forgotten; especially by those who loved them most dearly. Wives, children, parents, and fellow soldiers; these people will define the rest of their lives as “before” and “after”, starting now . Let’s honor those who bear most horribly the scars of this loss. Without them, it might be your door being knocked upon tonight; it might be you holding a folded flag. It could be you who has to plan no more birthdays, no more holidays; merely a funeral. It could be you with a raw nose and swollen eyes; running out of Kleenex as the night deepens. It could be you gathering all the photos you can, because no more will be taken. I hope and pray that it is not.
As a nation, some of us will forget the fallen. We will watch the news and shake our heads, turn off the TV and go to bed. Those who gave their lives will not know the difference. Those who cannot sleep, those who are searching for a grip, those who see no end to this sudden pain; they will.
Today, remember those who can never forget.
Throughout history, the ratio of happy endings to tragedies has always been a harsh reality. Wives kissed sailors goodbye, not knowing how many seasons would pass before their return..Families watched soldiers gather their weapons and march away..Mothers buried sons, children grew up fatherless. Death has always surrounded us, and is as much a part of our life as our existence is.
September 11th is a day I remember as a vague memory; there is merely acquired feeling attached to it, as I was only 11 years old when the Trade Centers fell. Death to me held little meaning beyond the realm of temporary goldfish. As I have grown up, I have come to respect the significance of that day. For many people, that day defines their lives more than their birthday or anniversary does. Some wounds will never heal until time has made that date into only a notation in a history book. It was that day, however, that created the vow to “never forget”, in the hearts of Americans. It was that day that defined the fate of thousands of lives to come.
This week, 31 more of those marked lives were lost. They will never be forgotten; especially by those who loved them most dearly. Wives, children, parents, and fellow soldiers; these people will define the rest of their lives as “before” and “after”, starting now . Let’s honor those who bear most horribly the scars of this loss. Without them, it might be your door being knocked upon tonight; it might be you holding a folded flag. It could be you who has to plan no more birthdays, no more holidays; merely a funeral. It could be you with a raw nose and swollen eyes; running out of Kleenex as the night deepens. It could be you gathering all the photos you can, because no more will be taken. I hope and pray that it is not.
As a nation, some of us will forget the fallen. We will watch the news and shake our heads, turn off the TV and go to bed. Those who gave their lives will not know the difference. Those who cannot sleep, those who are searching for a grip, those who see no end to this sudden pain; they will.
Today, remember those who can never forget.
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