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Today marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
A quarter of a century.
Since then, an entire generation of Americans has grown up knowing that morning only through their parents’ stories, school lessons, photographs, and archival footage.
Yet for millions of people, September 11 remains much more than a page in a history book.
America lost thousands of lives that day. At the same time, the nation witnessed extraordinary courage.
Firefighters, police officers, medical workers, military members, first responders, and ordinary people ran toward danger to save others.
Today, above all, we remember those whose lives were taken on September 11. That morning, they went to work, boarded a plane, or simply went about their daily routines. They never came home.
We remember their names. We remember their families and loved ones. For them, life was forever divided into “before” and “after.”
Three days after the attacks, President George W. Bush spoke at the National Cathedral in Washington. His remarks came during the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. Twenty-five years later, his words still resonate:
“It is said that adversity introduces us to ourselves. This is true of a nation, as well. In this trial, we have been reminded, and the world has seen, that our fellow Americans are generous and kind, resourceful and brave.”
— President George W. Bush, September 14, 2001
Today, Americans across the country are gathering for memorial ceremonies and moments of silence. In addition, communities are holding events and volunteer projects to mark the 25th anniversary.
President Donald Trump was not at the main remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero in New York today.
According to The New York Times, Trump initially wanted to speak at the New York ceremony. The newspaper cited people familiar with the planning.
However, politicians have not been permitted to give speeches there since 2012. According to the newspaper, that was one reason Trump did not attend the memorial.
Meanwhile, another episode from September 11 has been remembered for years.
During a phone interview that day, Trump was asked about 40 Wall Street, a building he owned. Specifically, the interviewer wanted to know whether the building had been damaged.
Trump said that 40 Wall Street had once been the tallest building in Downtown Manhattan. After the World Trade Center was built, he said, it became the second tallest.
Then the Twin Towers fell. Trump said his building was now the tallest again.
However, that claim was false. After the towers were destroyed, 40 Wall Street was not the tallest building in Lower Manhattan.
On a day when New York was counting the dead, Trump, for some reason, was counting floors.
September 11 is officially recognized as Patriot Day.
The designation came shortly after the attacks. On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed it into law.
Since then, September 11 has been observed as Patriot Day. The day honors those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks against the United States.
Over time, however, September 11 took on another meaning.
In 2009, it was also officially designated the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
The idea is simple: remembrance does not have to be expressed only in words.
Instead, it can also mean helping someone else.
It can mean volunteering. It can mean supporting a neighbor, helping veterans and military families, or taking part in charitable and community projects.
Perhaps that is one of the most important meanings of this day, a quarter of a century later.
We cannot change what happened on the morning of September 11, 2001.
But we can remember those our country lost.
We can also honor those who ran toward danger instead of away from it.
Most importantly, we can hold on to the sense of unity that emerged during those dark days. And we can continue the willingness to help one another that September 11 reminded America it was capable of.