I thought a lot about what to write on the 25th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. I was in NYC that day. My coworkers and I stood there in confusion, looking out our office windows as smoke poured from the North Tower. That confusion continued as we watched a plane fly through skyscraper canyons and then plow into the South Tower. In that instant, confusion turned to fear. We were under attack. It seemed like only seconds later that a friend was calling out that the Pentagon had been hit. My husband, who had been just blocks away from the Twin Towers and seen everything up close, came to get me and some of my fellow Jersey folk because we knew we had to get out of Manhattan before things got even worse. As we were traveling across the Queensboro bridge, our fear turned to anguish as we watched the South Tower collapse and realized thousands must have died. We prayed some had survived. When we finally arrived home, it was to learn that the North Tower had also fallen, and that a brave group of Americans had stopped another attack and given their lives on Flight 93.
That day is still alive in my memory. Every bright and beautiful September morning brings those emotions back. It also makes me reflect on how important it is that we continue to honor the lessons of that day — unity, courage, compassion, and love of country. We owe it to those we lost, to the heroes who ran toward danger, and to the families who still carry the weight and pain of that day.
As an immigrant to this amazing nation, I feel deep gratitude. America has given so much to me and to so many others. It is a beacon of freedom and hope for people like my family who fled the tyranny of communism. On this anniversary, I pray that we never forget 9-11, and that we continue to stand together to protect the ideals that make America a shining light for the world. God bless America.
