There are few moments in time where life shifts into a whole new reality; where people we see day in and day out, or have never met attain a new role in our lives. Heroes.
9/11 was one of those moments where the world changed in an instant in many ways. Somehow the events of that day left all of us a little stunned, realizing how fragile life is, hugging our family a bit more tightly and reminding us that tomorrow is promised to no one.
I remember holding my 9 month old first born son in my arms watching those events unfold, wondering what the world I brought him into would become. It was surreal, to say the least and I know there are many who have deeper and more intimate experiences with that day. But 9/11 was a day that forever changed me, and how I see the world.
This summer my family took and East Coast Vacation to visit the historic sites of our amazing country. We saw the spots where all 3 of our Nations Capital Buildings were built, Wall Street, Congress, The Liberty Bell, Freedom Trail, Old North Church, etc. But none of these historic sites compared with the 9/11 memorial and ground zero. This place, once a thriving area filled with laughter, ambitions, and go-getters has become a hallowed ground and a place of deep sadness and reflection. It was there, tracing our fingers over the names of people who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy that I encountered something profound.
The memorial is designed as a reflecting pond - representing the tears of millions pouring forth, pounding in unison, relentless in their purpose to honor the fallen. The names are laid out in order of the floors they died on, next to their co-workers, and people who gave their lives as first responders in each tower, pentagon, and the flights. It was hard to take it all in, to think of the families affected by this tragedy and the magnitude of impact each person's life had. My own tears fell like a river as I walked along the memorial, even now thinking about it, it evokes the same response. Mothers, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, unborn children from all walks of life perished. It was overwhelming.
I want to give honor to all who died, but there was one particular area of the memorial that impacted me the most. It was the section dedicated to those on Flight 93 who led a charge against the terrorist to ground that plane to save countless others lives while losing their own. On the wall, one name in particular is worn, Todd M. Beamer, the leader of that charge to take back the plane. Above him, the name of a pregnant woman and her unborn child. These men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives to save others. The same is true for the police officers, firemen, and co-workers who went back in to help others but never made it out. Their courage, their desire to save others outweighed their own personal risk. They are and always will be Heroes.
There are probably many more names that should be worn, stories we are unaware of, of people who chose to help others vs. save themselves. They are people who they worked with day to day. It makes me think about how I do or don't honor, sacrifice, and give myself to my colleagues. Am I too caught up in my efforts to give myself to others and their success? It's a question all of us should ask, as I'm sure I'm not alone in taking for granted the heroes that I work with everyday and failing to be a hero to them. These are stories not yet told and those that I hope will never need to be immortalized due to tragedy.
This last week in our little community in Draper, Utah, I encountered another fallen hero, Sgt. Derek Johnson who was gunned down in the line of duty. We take for granted those who put their lives on the line every day.
So I just want to declare today that I am grateful for the heroess in my life and I aspire to be their's. My husband, children, family, friends, Sgt. Pat Evans who is still morning the loss of his best friend, my bosses (current and former), my teammates, our security guards, cafeteria staff, etc.
Perhaps my greatest takeaway from 9/11 is to not just to honor those that died, but to look around and see those still living that are right in front of us and pour into their lives, and thank them. Or to become their hero as well.
Who are the heroes in your life? How do you honor them? Love your comments below.
9/11 was one of those moments where the world changed in an instant in many ways. Somehow the events of that day left all of us a little stunned, realizing how fragile life is, hugging our family a bit more tightly and reminding us that tomorrow is promised to no one.
I remember holding my 9 month old first born son in my arms watching those events unfold, wondering what the world I brought him into would become. It was surreal, to say the least and I know there are many who have deeper and more intimate experiences with that day. But 9/11 was a day that forever changed me, and how I see the world.
This summer my family took and East Coast Vacation to visit the historic sites of our amazing country. We saw the spots where all 3 of our Nations Capital Buildings were built, Wall Street, Congress, The Liberty Bell, Freedom Trail, Old North Church, etc. But none of these historic sites compared with the 9/11 memorial and ground zero. This place, once a thriving area filled with laughter, ambitions, and go-getters has become a hallowed ground and a place of deep sadness and reflection. It was there, tracing our fingers over the names of people who lost their lives in this senseless tragedy that I encountered something profound.
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| 9/11 Memorial with new Freedom Tower Reflected in it. |
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| Flight 93 Heroes led by Todd M. Beamer |
There are probably many more names that should be worn, stories we are unaware of, of people who chose to help others vs. save themselves. They are people who they worked with day to day. It makes me think about how I do or don't honor, sacrifice, and give myself to my colleagues. Am I too caught up in my efforts to give myself to others and their success? It's a question all of us should ask, as I'm sure I'm not alone in taking for granted the heroes that I work with everyday and failing to be a hero to them. These are stories not yet told and those that I hope will never need to be immortalized due to tragedy.
This last week in our little community in Draper, Utah, I encountered another fallen hero, Sgt. Derek Johnson who was gunned down in the line of duty. We take for granted those who put their lives on the line every day.
So I just want to declare today that I am grateful for the heroess in my life and I aspire to be their's. My husband, children, family, friends, Sgt. Pat Evans who is still morning the loss of his best friend, my bosses (current and former), my teammates, our security guards, cafeteria staff, etc.
Perhaps my greatest takeaway from 9/11 is to not just to honor those that died, but to look around and see those still living that are right in front of us and pour into their lives, and thank them. Or to become their hero as well.
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| First Responder's Wall |
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