As September 11 approaches the first thing I think about is that it is the birthday of my nephew Erik Jon. Life goes on and we have to think about now and about the future. We also have to think about the people who are in our lives and what they mean to us. Erik Jon and his special day remind me of that.
Yes I think about the events of 9/11/01 as well. The faces and tears of the Ogonowski girls as they were escorted by my office after finding out about their father will probably never leave me. The worry about friends who working in the towers and about my father, senior chaplain for the NYC Fire Department that day, when I could not reach him for hours is still fresh. Thank goodness they were all safe though my father’s health was never the same after 6 weeks at Ground Zero ministering to first responders and the families of those who died.
What I remember most though is about how people cared for others afterwards. The event was created by hate but the country was better for the love that people showed to those who had lost so much.