September 11. A day that is forever etched in my consciousness. A day that brings with it a myriad of emotions. A day for which I am both humbled in gratitude and somber in reflection. A day that has provoked strong responses on both ends of the emotional spectrum. A day I remember with grief…and celebrate with joy.
September 11, 2001. The day our peace was shattered. A day that rocked our national consciousness. A day that offered the ultimate wake-up call, at the cost of thousands of lives lost. A day that galvanized our country’s resolve and stirred our patriotism from sea to shining sea. A day we watched in horror as our countrymen – innocent people just like us, people who went to work and took early morning flights back to their families after business trips – were unwittingly targeted for the single greatest act of terrorism on our nation’s shores. A day when we saw true heroes – from first responders to New York’s finest to courageous men and women providing aid to fallen coworkers to airline passengers who refused face certain death without a fight – literally rise from the ashes. A day when the landscape of our country changed forever: a skyline without its signature towers, a Pennsylvania field strewn with charred wreckage, our country’s fortress of security pierced with a gaping hole.
September 11, 1964. A day that brings me tremendous joy. A day on which a very special life began. A day that forever changed mine. A day that welcomed the baby who became the boy who grew to be the man I fell in love with, married…and who eventually became the father of two precious children of his own. A day God chose to breathe life and purpose into His child. A day I celebrate each year as I have the privilege of sharing life with this wonderful human being.
I love you, Matt!
Thank you for sharing the gift of your life with me.
Happy birthday…and I look forward to the next “40-something” together!