Remembering 9/11

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains.” Anne Frank

Did you wake up today not realizing it was 9/11?

Time has a way of dulling most of our memories, like a painting left out in the sun for too long, colors fade and what remains is a shadow of what once was. New experiences slowly take the place of old ones and the day comes when you wake up not remembering the images and the emotions of the past. What seemed to be unbearable at the time is now something you feel ashamed at having to be reminded of. In many ways it’s a blessing that enables us to move forward.

Yet, some things are never forgotten–they’re not meant to be–they are merely waiting for an invitation; a wound to be reopened to let the memories back in. And this too is how we move forward, by remembering the powerful lessons learned, often at great expense.

• Heroes are ordinary people making extraordinary choices.
• Humanity, compassion, and empathy are our common bond.
• Every goodbye may be the last.

In the days after 9/11 I felt compelled to write an open letter to my team at Delphi. It was a simple letter that captured the raw and unfiltered emotions of that day. We all have our memories of that 9/11. These are mine. Reading it once again brought me back to the horror but it also reminded me of the humanity in the aftermath of 9/11, the compassion and the caring, the small acts of kindness that united us in a rare unity and a common resolve. Something we would do well to remind ourselves of, especially now.

The tragic events in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania have touched all of us in some way, as friends and family of the victims, as Citizens of America, as civilized people of the free world.

Thirty two of our clients had offices located in the twin towers and building seven of the World Trade Center. We grieve deeply for the loss of those with whom we had worked and send to their families, as well as the many others touched by this senseless act, our thoughts, prayers, and most sincere expression of sympathy and solidarity.

Although there seems to be so little to do, given the enormity of this tragedy, we are united in the small steps we each take to demonstrate our resolve; boarding the next plane, donating blood, extending professional courtesies to each other, providing support in whatever way possible in these trying times. No matter what our business, our convictions, or our nationality these actions deepen our bonds and offer unwavering support to those who must fight the war against the cowardice of terrorism.

At the end of the first, horrible day of this evil, one of us was watching the late night news as were many of you. Holding up a tattered set of documents from the thousands of others that were strewn across the devastated streets of New York, Diane Sawyer commented on how important these papers must have been to someone just twelve hours earlier.

Indeed our perspective on the relative importance of so many things has been forever altered by this week. The priorities of our lives have been affected in ways that we are just beginning to understand. Our vulnerability has been exposed in the most horrible and vivid manner. Yet the darkness that guides the actions and the people behind these evils must not dim our resolve to live our lives, to exercise our freedoms and to build a world for our children that is free of this terrible fear.

9/11 touched all of us in a profound way. 16 years later what remains and what we remember is for each of us to decide. For me one thing stands out, it is the reminder of how the indomitable human spirit prevails in the face of the most horrifying and daunting adversity.

There’s beauty in that.