Dr. Becky once told me that the are only two things that can make me cry on command; when I talk about the last conversation I had with my father and the September 11 attacks.
Just how my grandfather will never forget D Day, or how my mom will never forget where she was when JFK was shot, those who were old enough to comprehend what was going on, will never forget where we were and what we were doing on 9/11.
In the past, I have read snarky posts and articles saying that Americans obsess over 9/11, we're so self-centered, if this happened in another country we wouldn't care, and to get over it already. These point of views to me are just sad and ignorant, how could their rants possibly dictate how we feel? I don't think we will ever "get over it", nor do I think we should. Honoring it each year is not obsessing, it's just remembering who and what we've lost, and thanking our heroes.
I don't know if it's because my mom is a flight attendant, or my cousin is a New York City Firefighter, or I'm a native New Yorker, or because I was close-by, that makes me so sad when I think of this day. Maybe I'm just someone who is extremely empathetic and feel an enormous amount of sorrow when I think of the victims and their families that had to go on with their lives after this day. Whatever my reasons are, today is a day that I acknowledge every year, and will continue to do so for many years to come, regardless of the city or country I'm in.New York, today is for you.This is what I wrote last year about my experience about what would have otherwise been a warm day in September, 2001.
Where were you on that day?
