Lest We Forget!
14 years ago life as we know it was forever changed. I know my life changed that day. My sense of security was forever altered. I remember feeling scared and unsure about the future. Certainly this is exactly what the terrorists hoped to accomplish. What they did not know would happen is that 9/11 would galvanize the country and forever change all of us for the better. 9/11 helped me to focus in on what really matters to me: God, family, friends, and my community.
9/11 also cemented what I wanted to do with life. Becoming a counselor who could work with hurt and wounded people is how I chose to fight the kind of evil that was committed on that fateful day. I did not know it back then, but one day I would meet and counsel a first responder who would make 9/11 real to me in a way that it had never been before.
I remember counseling this person who was in New York during 9/11 and for its aftermath. I listened to multiple stories of heroism as people literally put their lives at risk to save others. I also remember hearing stories of incredible human compassion and love that I will forever carry with me.
I can only hope that I offered some support, guidance, and care to the first responder whom I counseled. I remember having so much respect for this person’s bravery. I also remember the pain and hurt they carried with them so many years after that terrible day. 
I know there are many others who struggle today with the evil that was committed against our great country. Let us not forget all of those who lost a loved one, lost innocence, or who simply lost peace. Let us also not forget that all of us are forever changed and that the change is not all bad. We have the choice to take what was meant for evil and to bring good, hope, and healing to a world that desperately needs it.
Closing
On this 9/11 take the time to reflect on all that matters to you. I hope that you will be a person of peace for someone who needs it. There are hurting people everywhere. You just need to have eyes to see and ears to hear. Finally, I pray for blessings to you and yours!