09/11/2026
25 years ago, I was 9 years old and in 4th grade. I can still clearly remember my teacher informing our class of the events that had just taken place. I knew something terrible had happened. I knew people were scared and upset, but at that age, I couldn't understand the magnitude of that day.
I even remember being annoyed by all the news coverage because I couldn't watch my cartoons. At 9 years old, I simply didn't understand.
Fast forward a few years, and I made the decision to join the fire service. September 11th then became more than just a terrorist attack I remembered from my childhood. I began to understand what was displayed that day: the very epitome of public service—laying down your life so that others may live.
So many people made the ultimate sacrifice to save complete strangers. Firefighters, law enforcement officers, first responders, and civilians ran toward danger, helped one another, and put the lives of others before their own.
Then came September 12th.
We were hurting. We were scared. We were angry. But we were one. We were one nation that came together, put our differences aside, and stood beside one another.
Today is a day to remember those who lost their lives and those who sacrificed everything for someone else. May we never forget their courage, their selflessness, or the lessons their sacrifices left behind.
Let's live lives worthy of the sacrifices made 25 years ago.
Today, I have three young children of my own. I will work hard to raise them to respect others, serve when they can, appreciate the life they've been given, and understand the sacrifices that allow them to live it.
I want them to live lives worthy of those sacrifices and to live every day to the fullest.
