Last night, before I went to bed, I was scrolling through my Facebook and I found a post that read:
"On this day (September 10th)...17 years ago 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning tomorrow.
343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol.
8 paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift of saving lives.
None of them saw past 10:00 am Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same.
As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted."
I couldn't help but release many tears after reading this post. For someone who mourns the loss of one person, the heaviness of so many lost on this day, placed a huge amount of weight on my heart. Although I can not personally begin to imagine or understand what it would be like to lose someone you love, on this day, I can say that I know what it feels like to wake up one morning thinking it will be a regular day only to find that is anything but. Words cannot express the pain and anguish.
In the past I have found that 9/11 is a day that can be lightly brushed over and for a person like myself, who was very young when it occurred, it can be almost ignored. But I am asking you today, whether you are 15 or 55, to take time to remember and honor those who's lives were lost. And know that for every valuable life that was lost, there is a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a husband, a wife, a fiance, a niece, a nephew, a cousin, an aunt, an uncle, a grandpa, a grandma and a friend who is missing that person, even today.
So on this day, take time, in your own way, to honor those who did not see past 10:00 am on September 11, 2001. Know that there are people hurting and send up a prayer for them. Tell someone you love, "I love you" and hug them a little bit tighter. Thank God, for the gift of life, that you get to experience every day. We do not know our own day and hour but we do know that there is victory over death through the power of the cross.
Live in remembrance today.
Never forget.