Remembering 9/11: Honoring the Lives We Lost
Every year when September 11 comes around, I find myself pausing to remember where I was, what I felt, and how deeply that day still stays with so many of us. The weight of remembering nearly 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania is hard to put into words. Each person had a family, a story, a future, and people who loved them, which is why this day asks us not only to remember what happened, but to honor who they were.
For me, remembering 9/11 is not only about recalling the tragedy of that morning. Like so many Americans, I can still vividly remember that awful day, but I am also reminded of how our country came together in the aftermath. When I was growing up, my mother would often say, "Something good comes out of something bad," and those words stayed with me. In the days that followed September 11, it felt as though people put aside the small stuff and truly came together. We united in a way that honored the lives of those we lost, and for a moment, we could feel what it truly meant to be American. The political divide seemed almost nonexistent, and the news was full of heroic stories of people doing whatever they could to help. Those stories showed us what really matters, even when it is not always easy to see. We are truly blessed to be American. We live in a country where we can speak freely and may not always agree, but when it truly matters, we are there for each other.
Watching the news these days can feel like a constant reminder of what separates us, but I believe the unity that can overcome those divisions is still just below the surface, ready to rise when it is needed most.
Being American is not about all of us being the same. It is about remembering that, even with our differences, we are capable of compassion, courage, and service to one another. On this September 11, I hope we honor those we lost by carrying that spirit forward and never forgetting what truly matters.
T2T Steel Across America event 9/03/2026. Honoring those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
