“Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day?”  –Alan Jackson

Eleven years later those lyrics still resonate, tugging at emotions and opening the floodgate of memories. And while I’ve never forgotten and never will while I still have a functioning memory, for some reason today’s anniversary is hitting me a little harder than in other years.

Maybe it’s because so many others are also publicly remembering via their posts on social media, blogs and other forums. Maybe it’s because I’m heading down to Long Island this weekend, and the thought of being closer than I normally am to the site of the tragedy is working its way through my subconscious. Maybe it’s for a whole host of other reasons, most of which I couldn’t even begin to put a name to because they’re so intertwined that there’s no possible way to untangle them in the space of a short blog post.

Whatever the reasons, there are a couple of things which are really standing out for me today.
Never forget:  The lives that were lost because of terrorism…(a direct result of intolerance in all its many forms).
Never forget:  The unity and determination that brought so many people together to bring about a rebirth of something good from the ashes of wanton destruction and despair.

Each and every one of us has a choice: to remember both the good and bad, or to forget and become apathetic.

I choose to remember.

I remember the lives that were needlessly lost in the attacks, as a way of reminding myself that freedom isn’t free. It takes all of us standing up for what we believe in to protect what our forefathers fought so hard to win.

I remember the people who gave of themselves to help others, many of them at the cost of their own lives.

I remember the the spirit of unity that came about from all the individuals who banded together and worked tirelessly in the rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts.

I remember. And I will never forget.