Today marks 23 years since 9/11. I had been in New York only a few months earlier and had dined at the restaurant at the top of the twin towers - Windows on the World. It was a beautiful sight and a joyful memory. When the towers came down, that joyful memory was cast into the rubble and my thoughts turned to the restaurant workers who were lost that day.
I remember all too well the details of that day (as I'm sure we all do), where I was, the sadness, the fear, and the confusion. I also remember how this country rallied together in the aftermath. The pride of being Americans, the comfort we gained from family and friends, and the heartbreak for those we never met. It was a horrible day in our history and yet a day that revealed the best of what we, as Americans, truly embody. It's appropriate that we mark this day with the simple hashtag of #neverforget and while we must never forget the people who were lost that day, we must also never forget the pride we felt for our nation along with our fighting spirit to protect it.
Reflectively, I sat down that night and wrote a poem. Out of the blue, a friend of mine posted it today on her Facebook page, and I was so grateful. Grateful to be reminded of that time in our history. Grateful to remember how much love we felt for each other that day. Grateful to be reminded of our USA pride. Grateful to mark that day so we would never forget those that sacrificed so much for us and for our nation. Grateful to walk through my pain, fear, hope, and love for people in a world where we sometimes find ourselves saying, "I hate people." In remembrance, I'm re-posting my poem in hopes that as a nation, we #neverforget.
Windows of the World: Leslie Prichard 9/11/2001
The windows of the world were always open wide.
We were the country who let everyone inside.
We smiled and shook hands of the strangers we’d meet.
We proudly walked without fear through our city streets.
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But then the windows were shattered by evil and hate.
Too many innocent people met an untimely fate.
Our happy hearts filled with shock, anger and fear.
How could this happen especially here?
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We’ve cried and we’ve prayed, but mostly we’ve hoped.
That death is not something with which we must cope.
How do you tell a child of such evil?
How do you explain the loss of so many people?
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How do you stop the crying in the middle of the night?
How do you muster the strength you need to fight?
The answer’s not easy as we all know.
But the answers to our questions grow and grow.
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The answer is in the great love that’s been shown,
By Americans and foreigners and millions unknown.
The answer is in the unyielding sacrifice and courage,
By all the brave firemen, police and volunteer workers.
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The answer is in the red, white and blue.
The answer is in American pride waving strong and true.
Evil and hate didn’t win in America today.
We’ll show the world of what we are made.
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We’ll show the world that we can’t be beat.
And one day soon we will walk down those streets.
We’ll show the world our American pride.
When we once again welcome strangers inside.
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We’ll heal our broken hearts as we watch time pass.
And we’ll repair the windows with stronger glass.
We’ll do all of this with great grace and class
Because the windows of the world were made to last.
#neverforget #9/11/2001 #windowsoftheworld #9-11 #USA #AmericanPride
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