Seven Years Later

(Above: "9/11 Lights" that shine the week of 9/11 each year in the places where the towers once stood)

Last week marked the seven year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. I remember that day very vividly, as I was a Sophomore in high school in my second period history class. We had heard about the first plane hitting the tower, and as we watched the news coverage, we saw the second one hit. Next thing you know they were covering the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and then the Pentagon attack. The nation and world changed in a matter of an hour or two. I was scared too death, wondering "is this how the world will end?" in my head. Now seven years later, politics, the economy, our daily lives have changed because of this day and the actions that took place because of it. I don't want to get political, but we all know the issues we face today as the after-effects of 9/11.

I moved to NY in the summer of 2007 and have experienced how New Yorkers commemorate this day for 2 of the 7 years since the attacks. The morning news transformed into hours of memorial coverage and interviews of those left behind as well as those who survived. There were numerous moments of silence for each tower that fell and each attack or crash that happened that day. Tons of photos and small biographies shared by families and friends of those lost that day. All-in-all it was a solemn day as it has been for the past seven years and will continue to be for years to come. However, we, as a nation, will continue to console, support, and honor those directly and indirectly affected by this tragedy. Never have I been more happy and hhonored to be a citizen of this country, and I thank God each day for allowing me to live the life I lead and the wonderful people who share it with me.