09/11/2026
A Time to Remember - September 11, 2026
I choose to send greetings on this day with the hope of unifying our hearts in remembrance. As our lives continue to unfold, each of us carries our own way of remembering September 11. After twenty‑five years, I still recall the weather with vivid clarity — a brilliant blue‑skied fall morning across the Northeast, a day that began with routine and normalcy, unaware of the devastation that would unfold in the hours ahead.
As age and experience allow, we hold memories shaped by that day — some deeply personal, all connected to the evil and tragic reality of terrorism. The events of September 11 sharpened our perspective: death, injury, heroism, and destruction converged, and our nation stepped courageously into an unknown future.
My belief, and my invitation to all of us, is that we dare not pass by this date without remembering. We honor the best of humanity’s response, even as we acknowledge the vulnerability that can surface at any moment.
My reflections lead me again to an axiom of life I have shared before:
If we are prepared to die,
we are then free to live.
I will not attempt to fully explain this expression today. Instead, I simply point us toward an ancient prayer that, to me, reflects light and truth:
The Dakota Prayer
(modern attribution)
Teach us to walk the soft earth
as relatives to all that live.
Help us to live each day so that
we are not afraid of dying.
I offer these thoughts as food for reflection — perhaps even a conversation starter — encouraging each of us to continue to remember and reflect on what this day means in our own lives.
Prayerfully with love,
Gary
