Where were you that day?

I hadn't planned to write this, but something in me kept nudging me to do so. 

I tried not to think about the significance of yesterday's date, September 11, 2021. As an empath, thinking of such horrific events, the evil, the fear, the pain and suffering, the lasting effects on the first responders and others who were right there in the middle of it...it can be very overwhelming. I found myself exhausted just trying to manage and process it all, so I went to bed early, only to dream of those events all night.

Like most of us who were old enough to remember, I know exactly what I was doing and where I was at the moment the first tower was hit. I was newly pregnant with my first child and was at work in my in-laws' flower shop. One of our delivery drivers hurriedly came in, asking if we'd heard the news. We didn't have a television there, so we tuned in on the radio. From that moment on, no one spoke a word. We sat there in silence as we listened to the events of that day unfolding. I was fearful of the world I was bringing a child into and what might happen next. My heart was shattered for New York, the passengers on all of the flights, their families, the first responders and their families, and for our great country that had just been so savagely attacked. 

In the days, weeks, and months that followed the worst attack on the US in history, our country joined together in a way I'd never seen before and have never seen since. We looked beyond race, color, gender, beliefs, politics, and other differences. We were just Americans. We put others first, we helped each other, cried with each other, prayed with each other, and we celebrated our great country.

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years. The child I was pregnant with at the time is now a grown man. Our country has never forgotten what happened that day or those we lost as a result of that day. It seems though that we've lost our patriotism and love for our fellow Americans somewhere along the way. We've spent so much time focusing on our differences that we've forgotten about what makes us all the same - we're all human beings, we're all imperfect, we're all unique and have a special purpose, we're all Americans, and we all have the ability to love one another.

When did we become a selfish nation? Where is the love and respect we had for each other 20 years ago? It's time to take a hard look at that day and remember we are not immune to horrific events, terroristic or otherwise. We need each other. We need to support each other and stop looking for reasons to disagree or hate each other. We need to celebrate our differences and lift each other up. Let's honor all those lives lost by building this country back up to the greatness it once was. It isn't too late to change the narrative.

Where were you that day? Do you remember the patriotism after the attacks?