Today is the fifth anniversary of September 11th. Around this time of year, I like to watch documentaries about the events for a couple of reasons. One is so I don’t forget. When the World Trade Center towers fell, I honestly thought I would never be happy again, never smile again. Of course, that wasn’t the case. Two years ago, I had the sweetest baby in the world who makes me smile almost constantly. But I still feel the need to remember those who lost their lives on Sept 11th for no reason other than being at the wrong place, at the wrong time. I need to feel those emotions again that stripped away all that I worry about that is not important and focus on what is.
The second reason is to feel the togetherness that America shared at that time. Once again, we read headlines about people fighting, abusing others, killing each other. But right after Sept 11th, it was as if we were all brothers and sisters. Americans came together as I had never seen us come together before. And while it was for a tragic event, for a minute, it was nice that everyone was nice to each other.
Last night I watched the 9/11 documentary filmed by the two French brothers. They just happened to be doing a documentary on a new FDNY fireman at the time of the attack. They got incredible footage of the event. Yes, it is tragic and hard to watch, but I need to every once in a while so I don’t forget the sacrifice of some of the bravest men ever. After Sept 11th, the firemen of New York weren’t just New York’s firemen, but America’s firemen. How brave they were to go up those towers, not knowing what to expect, often not knowing what to do in this unprecedented attack, and perhaps not even thinking that they might never come back down. When it was all over, 343 of them did not return to their firehouses or families. Five years later, we are learning that many may have lasting health problems due to the air they breathed that day.
Even after the towers fell, the firemen worked to try to rescue survivors, even though few were rescued. I teared up last night when one of the filmmakers said he came into that film with one brother, but left with 50, meaning all the firemen of that house were now his brothers. One brother even married in that firehouse, surrounded by his “brothers.”
Take a minute today to visit these online tributes to these brave men:
http://www.firetactics.com/FDNY-TRIBUTE-11SEPT2001.htm
http://www.firetactics.com/FDNY-WTC.htm
http://www.fdny4-15.com/FDNY_tribute.htm
http://www.bravestmemorial.com/
http://www.usa-patriotism.com/tribute/fallen/fdny_g.htm
Here are more Families.com blogs about Sept 11th:
Five Years Later: Let Us Take a Moment
Where were you when the world stopped turning?
Five Years Later: The Aftermath
Education: A-Z: R for Remembering 9/11 in the Classroom
Where were you on Septemeber 11, 2001?
September 11: In Honor of the Fallen and Those Who Defend Us
Fitness Thoughts & More for September