Patriot Day - The Lessons We Learned from 9/11

It’s been 20 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks, when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers, a third plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth into a field in Pennsylvania after a struggle between passengers and their hijackers.  

In honor of the 20^th anniversary of the terrorist acts of 9/11, let’s look at five powerful quotations and the lessons we’ve learned from this tragedy:

• “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”— Barack Obama
• “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”— Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl.
• “Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.”— George W. Bush
• “September 11 impressed upon us that life is a precious gift…. And I think we all have a duty to devote at least a small portion of our daily lives to ensuring that neither America nor the world ever forgets September 11.”— Bill Frist
• “What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.”—Author David Levithan

On this 20^th anniversary, remember the victims, the rescuers, and their families. Remember to tell your loved ones how you feel. Remember to help others. Just as importantly, remember that life is a gift, and it’s much too short to spend causing grief to others.