Memories
It was 14 years ago today that the towers came down. So much has happened in our lives since that day, but I can remember just about every moment as if it were yesterday. Ilise was 8 months pregnant with Noah on that day and Drew was 16 months old. We were in our apartment in Riverdale and I was moving boxes to the new apartment that we had purchased, an apartment that we really couldn’t afford. We got a call from Ilise’s friend at around 8:30 and she told us to turn on our TV’s, someone flew a plane into the WTC. What a day that was.
It’s 14 years later and I’ve been asked to deliver a speech at a local Rotary club later today. In my speech I talk about the events of 9/11 because of the effect it’s had on my life. With all the tragedy of the day I had my own personal relationship with the events, as everyone else did. Mine was all about fear, with so much death, how many funerals was I going to have to go to? I had grown up my entire life in the NY area, I must know so many people who passed away in those towers. In the end, of the 3,000 plus people who passed away that day, I didn’t know anyone, not one. I can’t imagine what it was like to be one of the family members who lost a loved one, but for me I felt so lost and confused.
That day was a turning point in my life though, one where I decided that I would no longer let fear cloud my decision making. My relationship to fear changed, even though that day was one of total disbelief. I can feel the raw emotions of that day and I’m sure when I’m in front of the audience later today that will come out. I saw a number of posts on Facebook about 9/11 this morning and I could really feel the energy that I felt that day.
At this point in my life I don’t believe that anything happens by chance. Every interaction, every event is a sign for us on our journey. I believe that we have the capacity to use these events, no matter how painful and tragic, to form us into the people we were born to be. I hope that everyone takes some time today to reflect on all the gifts and blessings we have in our life.
To a life well lived!
Larry Kesslin 