Remembering This Day
Sharing the memories I choose...
22 years ago…
Hate knocked on our front door.
Scratch that, it didn't knock.
It busted its way in and tore everything apart.
But it didn't win.
(Not in my memory, at least)
We all remember where we were on this day, nearly two decades ago.
We share the visions and sounds and feelings we felt on that day.
They are engraved in our collective conscious forever.
In 2001, Dr. Eric and I still lived in New York.
New York is where we were born and raised.
We were in college and my roommate's father was in the NYFD.
Like the many other heroes, he literally ran in when everyone else ran out.
In the days after 9/11, I remember going to her house in the Bronx...
It was her sister's sweet 16.
They had planned a private cruise around the Statue of Liberty.
A cruise that should have been cancelled.
But, because of her dad's role in saving lives, the city allowed this one particular cruise to happen.
A 'Thank You' gift, I suppose.
I remember the first time I saw the new skyline from out in the harbor.
It's an image I will never forget.
The smoke was still lingering,
billowing up from the ashes.
I can still feel the heaviness in the air.
I can still smell the smell of the smoke.
I can hear the resonating sounds of "God Bless America" over the speakers,
…as we floated by.
Bodies were still missing.
Families still searching for their loved ones.
There was still so much unknown.
So much pain.
So much anger.
What I remember most, though,...
is not the ashes.
or the smoke.
or the pain.
or the hate.
It's not the fear.
or the uncertainty.
What I remember most
was the love.
That same evening...
The city had an impromptu candlelight vigil. 🕯️🕯️
(I’m not sure the media even covered the story.)
Every neighbor stood outside, side-by-side...
We stood together.
We prayed for one another.
We prayed for the future.
We prayed for America.
On that day,
it didn't matter who you were...
There was no:
🙏🏻black vs white,
🙏🏻LGBTQIA+ vs cis,
🙏🏻masked vs unmasked,
🙏🏻male vs female,
🙏🏻red vs blue,
🙏🏻blue lives vs black lives,
🙏🏻vaccinated vs unvaccinated...
There was one.
On that day,
We were one.
This is the memory I choose to honor.
On this day, 22 years later....
I celebrate our togetherness.
I celebrate the reality that no matter how hard life gets...
We are a community.
We are one.
In the current trying times, it’s easy to focus on what divides us.
It’s easy to believe the narratives on the media.
It’s easy to believe the world is full of hate.
It’s easy to believe the world is full of evil.
But,
I opt out of these narratives.
I choose to believe that the world is full of good people.
I choose to believe that the world is full of love.
I choose to believe this…
because I see it every day.
Every day…
I see fearless leaders stand up for what’s right.
I see people who willing to give up the comforts of living to spread the truth to others.
I see people who put their lives on the line because there are children who need to be saved.
I see people willing to fight until their last breath to protect freedoms for people they will never meet.
I see people who choose to look evil straight in the face and fearlessly say,
“Not On My Watch!”
I see people who choose:
Bravery over fear.
Freedom over control.
Truth over lies.
Love over hate.
I see people who choose love.
So, despite what the media tells me…
I still believe in love exists in this world.
I still believe that there is more love than hate.
And I believe that love wins every single time.
Because the only way
hate could win…
is by believing their
evil lies.
On this day…
Please consider the lesson of 9/11:
Togetherness is possible.
It happened then and can happen now.
We simply need to focus on the love.
Love & Light,
Dr. Andrea
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