I was thinking about…Rising from the Ashes, Together
By Andy Lee
September 11, 2001 was a day that will forever live in infamy. As the unthinkable unfolded on live television, America held its collective breath in disbelief and horror. When the smoke cleared, nearly 3,000 innocent lives had been brutally taken, extinguished in an instant. Families were shattered, left to grapple with unfathomable grief. An entire nation was shaken to its core.
But amid the rubble and wreckage, something else took root – a spirit of unity unlike anything we had seen. In the days after 9/11, our petty grievances and differences were overshadowed by a tremendous groundswell of compassion and solidarity.
We proudly flew our flags, refusing to let terror cow us into hiding our patriotism. Blood banks urgently put out the call for donors, and Americans turned out in droves, waiting hours for the chance to help. Relief funds received an outpouring of donations as we raced to aid the victims and their families. At candlelight vigils across the country, we found comfort standing shoulder to shoulder. Together, we mourned. Together, we vowed to rebuild.
On Capitol Hill, our elected leaders came together with grace. Shoulder to shoulder they stood, Republicans and Democrats alike, united in condemning the attacks and pledging to bring justice for this egregious assault on our country. In our greatest moment of vulnerability, we rejected division and instead chose to link arms.
Volunteers also linked arms at Ground Zero, braving poisonous smoke and treacherous wreckage to aid rescue and recovery efforts. We now refer to them simply as heroes. Their courage and selflessness knew no bounds. Just as the brave first responders fearlessly rushed into crumbling towers to save others, volunteers from every corner of America rushed to New York to sift through the aftermath.
For a short but profoundly meaningful season, our differences paled in comparison to all that united us. Every American life lost was equally precious. Every shaken American spirit deserved uplifting. Nothing else mattered but binding up the wounds as one nation.
We live today in an era of polarization, of factions and tribalism. But on 9/11 we caught a glimpse of who we could be, of what Americans are truly capable of when united by compassion. The terrorists sought to terrorize us, but they could not break our spirit. They could not dim our ideals. They only strengthened our resolve to protect the freedom and openness that define our country.
On this solemn anniversary, we mourn the precious lives lost on that terrible Tuesday morning in 2001. We lift up their memories along with the memories of courageous first responders. And we rededicate ourselves to summoning that same spirit of unity, that pure compassion which shone so brightly in our darkest hour. We are still one nation, indivisible.
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