9/11/01 : A Day to Remember
By: Chris Hammond, MS, IMH
For most people, remembering 9/11/01 is about remembering
where they were when they first heard the news.
It is easy to recall it since it was such a shocking day filled with
tragedy after tragedy and while most felt numb that day, recall of the event
now includes emotions of great sadness, grief, despair, and anger. The many days of confusion that followed
9/11/01 are more of fog compared to the moment in which you first heard the
news. That moment is imbedded into your
memory as if it was yesterday, stirring up a mixture of both old and new
emotions. With each passing year, the
memory refuses to fade as new memories are implanted into your head; instead it
remains a solidly fixed and sober event.
But remembering 9/11/01 should not be so selfish. It should not be about remembering where you
were or who you were with or how you felt.
The people who committed the acts of terrorism on 9/11/01 were the selfish
ones thinking only of their beliefs, their cause, their feelings, and their
goal. On that day, the terrorists
focused solely on their agenda at the great expense of the lives of others. No,
this day, Patriot’s Day, should not a selfish day but rather a day in which we
all remember one another and the sacrifices that were given both willingly and
unwillingly. For many gave their life,
some had their life stolen, thousands of families were impacted and others
worked tirelessly to save lives and clean up the debris. For those individuals, this day has a
different meaning as it was not just a national event, it was personal and it
forever changed them as such.
Remember them. Have you ever had to clean up after a
disaster? Maybe you have been in a
natural disaster where things are suddenly not where they belong and destroyed
beyond repair. Or maybe you have had a
smaller event such as a pipe bursting or a two-year-old on a rampage through
your house. While it is frustrating to
see things get so out of place in such a short time, it can be even more frustrating
to put things back together again.
Remember those worked after 9/11/01 cleaning up an unbelievable mess day
after day only to discover an even greater mess beyond the surface. The amount of discouragement must have been
overwhelming, yet they kept going year after year. For these individuals, 9/11/01 is not just a day;
it is a series of events forever imbedded into their current memory. And while they unselfishly gave of themselves
to accomplish a task, they continue to give of themselves through the memories
which repeatedly traumatize them.
Thank them. These unselfish individuals deserve your
thanks and gratitude for a sacrifice that hopefully you can only imagine but
will never fully know from experience.
For most of them, recognition and thanks is nice but they did not do it
for that reason. Rather, they had a job
to do and chose to do well. Every day
you have a choice to just do your job and get by with as little effort as
possible or you can chose to do your job well and like the heroes of 9/11/01 do
it beyond expectation. The heroes had a
choice and it is obvious by the outcome that they put aside their selfish
desires and chose to live a life of service to others. It is easier to say a thank you but so much
harder to live by the example that was set before you of excellence.
Be them. In the end, you have a choice. It does not matter what your job is, who your
family is, where you come from, or what your circumstances are in life, you
still have a choice. You have a choice
to live a life that is selfish and focused on yourself or to live a life that
is selfless and focused on others. The
terrorists made their choice; it was one of complete and total selfishness. Some of the people who lost their life on
that day did not have a choice; rather it was stolen from them. But some of the people who lost their life on
that day did have a choice; it was one of selflessness. You too have a choice in how you live your
life. Are you going to be selfish like
the terrorists or selfless like the heroes?
What a true
monumental day 9/11/01 would be if the long-term outcome was a nation filled
with individuals who became selfless instead of selfish. For a few years following that day, there was
a glimmer of hope that selflessness would be the final outcome however as the
events of that day turn more selfish and focused on remembering where you were
instead of remembering who perished, the hope faded. But you still have a choice; you can choose on
this Patriot’s Day to remember others and the sacrifices they gave and continue
to give or you can choose instead to remembering yourself and how you felt. Choose wisely because the outcome will
determine the destination of our next generation.
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"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2012), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"
About the author- Chris Hammond is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern at LifeWorks Group w/ over 15 years of experience
"Reprinted with permission from the LifeWorks Group weekly eNews, (Copyright, 2004-2012), To subscribe to this valuable counseling and coaching resource visit www.LifeWorksGroup.org or call 407-647-7005"
About the author- Chris Hammond is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern at LifeWorks Group w/ over 15 years of experience