On September 11th 2001, 2,977 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Today marks the 14th anniversary of that horrific, incomprehensible tragedy.
We take this day to devote tremendous amounts of respect and honor to those who were killed that day, and those who sacrificed their lives to save others.
Today, our hearts heavy, brimming over with the affections only memories can stir, we also take pride in the way New York City came together in the aftermath of this tragedy in which so many loved ones were lost.
All of their names are engraved into bronze panels around the Memorial Pools’ edges and our nation’s hearts for all eternity.
There are a number of ways to remember, respect, and honor those who died in the attacks 14 years ago.
First, you can recall someone that mattered to you, someone who was taken way too soon. Write a post on social media to honor that person's memory, if that's the absolute least you can do.
But maybe take a step away from the screen for a moment and talk to someone who also knew that person. Remember that all life is preserved in the heart of memory.
Second, you can visit the 9/11 Memorial at 200 Liberty Street, and visit the bronze panel around the pools' edges on which the name of every single victim is engraved.
"When you choose to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, you are playing an important part in memorializing those who were killed, honoring the sacrifices of the first responders, and remembering the spirit of unity that emerged in the aftermath of 9/11," said Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
Third, check out Tribute in Light. The 9/11 Memorial will be open to the public for a meaningful vantage point of the annual tribute, and the Memorial will remain open from 3 p.m. until midnight.
Today, we honor, we respect, we remember, and most of all we keep those many lives taken from us way too soon alive in our hearts.
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