“I Remember” || What to Say About 9/11 & Grief
For a person in grief, there are almost no two sweeter words than, “I remember …”
Those two words begin stories, spark memories, open old joys, and bring feelings back to us with blazing clarity.
On a day like today I wondered, what would I write for this mortuary blog? what is there to say still about this infamous, monumental, and mournful day? And the only thing that came back to me was this: I remember.
I grieve 9/11 each year. Last week I felt a nausea settle over me as I thought of the day’s events and anticipated it’s coming. We are, so many of us, grieving together today as Americans and as people; people who will never forget the tragedy that unfolded that morning. We connect to each other and to something greater than ourselves on this anniversary when we come together to remember.
And so I encourage you today, to share this image below if you don’t know what else to do.
Join me in remembering this day.
“I just remember looking up and thinking, ‘How bad is it up there that the better option is to jump?’”
New York Fireman
Sept. 11, 2001
“If anyone can hear me, make some noise and we’ll come help you.”
New York Rescuer
Sept. 11, 2001
“We are breathing the dead,
taking them into our lungs
as living we had taken them
into our arms.”
Hettie Jones
New York City
Sept. 11, 2001
“A great people has been moved to defend a great nation.”
President George W. Bush
Sept. 11, 2001
“We have met the worst of humanity with the best of humanity.”
Rudolph Giuliani
Mayor of New York
Sept. 11, 2001
31 Comments
Molly,
I remember driving to work at a mortuary in Anaheim oblivious to the events of the morning. When I arrived to the mortuary, my manager, in a panic, said that we were under attack. I, like many Americans that arrived to where they were going unaware on the hijacking and deaths, thought it was a joke…until we plugged in an old T.V. and all watched in horror as the WTC crumbled to the ground. My youngest brother lost a dear friend when the Towers fell. We all felt the pain of the day and each year reminds us of the fragile nature of life and community.
I remember being in my garage exercising and watching TV when the the special news report broke into the normal programming. It was chaotic and confusing at first because the reporters only knew some type of aircraft had hit the building. Within minutes, the second plane hit. At that moment, I knew it was a terrorist attack. A sick feeling came over me as I watched in disbelief as the events unfolded. Our world had changed forever that day. May God bless those who lost there lives and bless the families of those who perished due to such a senseless act.
Molly, thanks for this blog. We will never forget! Fitz
Fitz,
I love hearing the stories about “where were you when the planes hit?” – I think none of us can forget the details of that morning, where we were, what we saw, and how we felt in those moments and hours, days and still feel now years later.
Thank you for reading, I’m glad this blog was important to you as well.
Molly
Molly,
I remember being home and a friend was over with her son. She had the news on and I did not get the magnitude of what happened at first. As we stayed glued to the television for the rest of the morning, feelings of fear, anger and sadness were overwhelming. It was evident right away that life would never be the same for us.
A year later, I would end up working for a doctor who lost a son that day. Coworkers told me of his anguish watching the news that morning and thinking he saw his son trying to jump from one of the buildings.
My prayers will be with all of the families who have been affected by 9/11……
Lori
Oh my gosh, Lori. It’s stories like those that bring a freshness and vivid color to the terror of that day and what so many went through. I have never heard that story of yours before, I can’t imagine what watching those images must have been like knowing your child was inside … unthinkable.
I so appreciate your story and others like it, I think it was so hard to grapple with what all of it meant at the time. Hearing stories like that help us understand and bring us closer together as a grieving people who all lost on that day.
Thank you for sharing,
Molly
Molly
As I was getting ready this morning I was thinking about where I was, helping Pat and Bill with an early morning seminar, but I thought more about something else…
So many people today are remembering differently, because they got out alive, because they didn’t get to work on time, because they didn’t go at all.
I know some of them live with guilt because they are alive and someone they loved isn’t.
Same as the young service personnel who make it through a fierce fire fight and their team members didn’t. Why me? Why was I spared? These are questions only the Almighty can answer. But if we have life, for as long as we have life, we try to make a difference for others, and enjoy every possible minute with gratitude and service.
9-11 was a time of coming together as a city, as a people, as a nation. Love and support of all kinds was freely given. It brought out the best in us. I remember, but I also remember how beautiful we are as a people. I love America.
Anne,
So beautifully said. It’s incredibly poetic to me that this day designed and plotted to destroy and annihilate could not destroy or distinguish the spirit of America and her proud citizens. Buildings, lives, and families have been forever turned upside down, damage was done and it was terrifying in the most extreme, but it did not tender our resolve, it awakened it.
There are so many things to be said about this day, so many angles to observe and think about, so many incredible stories, moments and acts of heroism. So many questions left unanswered and so much pain in the wake.
Yet, we came together, and on that day we continue to do so because of our love for freedom and the country that gives it to us.
Molly
Thank you Molly, for helping us to remember this day & show reverence for it. I remember my radio alarm waking me & hearing the DJ reporting the events happening but I couldn’t really understand what he was talking about. I turned on the TV & was in complete shock, felt nauseous & numb. I worked at Disneyland at the time & when I got there was turned away along with all the other workers & guests- they had closed the entire park & it’s operations just in case they were a target for an attack. I will never forget… Carrie
The world upside down. Carrie, your story is so interesting – I think very few of us here on the west coast experienced any real rupture to our regular activities, many of us still went to school or were able to work, even if we just went there to continue watching the tv for updates and meaning. I’ve heard that 9/11 is the only day that Disneyland has ever closed for any unplanned reason and it terrifies me to think of that place being a target. All of the thousands of people working there, all of the guests going there with such innocent and wonderful hopes – how could anyone target a place like that? And yet, that is precisely where evil would strike and it breaks my heart.
Thank you for sharing your very real experience of the day,
Molly