May we remember...

...every person whose life was taken too soon.

…every family impacted by the loss of their loved one, who carry the memories of them in their hearts everyday.

…every survivor and their visible or invisible wounds.

...how people walked beside one another in their brokenness.

…every selfless soul who ran towards the danger to help others, some surviving, and others giving their life to save someone else’s.

…the empathy and compassion we had for one another.

…we laid down judgements of others and saw one another as the human beings we are.

...we stood beside one another in solidarity.

…how out of this tragedy, we united in the love we have for one another.

I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to remember so that we keep the memory alive of those whose lives were taken too soon. May we honor their lives by letting their story continue to make a difference in our hearts. And when remembering, may we pray for God to help us learn from the past so that we can do our part to make a better present, and future, for generations to come.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Pictures…

1. 911 memorial in NYC

2. The statue at our local library in memory of Amy Toyen, whose life was taken too soon on that tragic day.

3. My Uncle Harold, who was a FDNY fireman, who thankfully got out just in time before the second tower fell.

4. The red bandanna in memory of Welles Crowther - you can read or watch his story as a reminder of his selfless acts of love, that reflect the heart of so many that day.