September 11...six years later

Six years after the tragedy of 9/11, it seems impossible to say anything that hasn't been said. It also seems impossible to not acknowledge the day and give time and respect to those that lost their lives and thanks to those that saved as many people as they could.

After the 35W bridge collapsed I think I saw a sliver more of how it was on that day. Just a sliver, because no one who wasn't there will ever truly understand. But the panic of not knowing the extent of the damage, the extent of life lost, waiting to hear the names. That was the worst, I think...wondering if there was anyone that I knew on that bridge. I was lucky. Most of us were lucky.

So on this September 11 I have a renewed appreciation for the people who stepped in, who helped and made the death toll stay low in my own community. I value the television specials, the flags at half-mast, the pledges of allegiance, all of the ways that people show how they remember. I am so thankful that this has not been forgotten, that people still take time out of their days to reflect on what happened and what it means to those of us who are still here, who were not involved but are not unchanged.