Vest Reflects: September 11th

It’s been eleven years now. Eleven years of looking back on a clear, beautiful, early autumn day. Eleven years of flinching at the mentions, of flinching at the photographs, the news coverage. Eleven years of listening to stories of quiet, anonymous heroism and sacrifice.
 
Eleven years of feeling the anniversary sneak up, ambushing you with feelings of deep sadness as you are quietly going about your life.
 
It begs the question – how do you handle the memories? How do you memorialize?
 
This tragedy – this historical event – hit home in a way that few others have because it was our home. It infiltrated. The American dream and superiority came crashing down and we were left feeling shocked, terrified, vulnerable.
 
For those old enough to really remember – to remember where we were, what we were doing – life has moved on.
 
It sounds callous to say that, but it has. Children have grown up, people have moved, changed jobs, celebrated promotions and weddings, lamented losses of jobs, mourned deaths.
 
Having our happiness live in such close proximity to these memories, these horrific images captured in our minds of one of the darkest days fills you with guilt – how dare we move on when so many cannot.
 
That is the crux of September 11th. The date brings it all rushing back. But it’s not a federal holiday. It isn’t a three day weekend.
 
You remember, vividly, but feel so useless.
 
It’s a day that needs to be commemorated, but the tragedy is still too close to feel comfortable doing so. It’s still too soon.
 
There is an inherent awkwardness as no one is sure how to react – how to act today.
 
There is a simple solution, often overlooked.
 
On this day, as the unity our country felt has dissolved into elections and the petty concerns and arguments and strife of life, take a moment to reach out. Remember that kindness and concern we felt for each other as a country. Tell a stranger a kind word, make an effort to volunteer.
 
Take this day, rooted in terror and anger and fear and death and destruction and make something positive from it.
 
Prove to yourself and the world and the people who committed these atrocious acts that we will rise above and we will be stronger for it. Do not simply memorialize the victims, but on this day, honor them.