Celebrations of anniversaries divisible by 25 are supposed to be grand occasions. Case in point--this country's semiquincentennial anniversary of its founding. It truly was (and is, as we come upon Constitution Day and perhaps more as we conclude the year) a spectacle to behold.
Sometimes, they are not. Case in point--what we commemorate today. Yes, sometimes tragedies have to be remembered as well, painful as the memory was (and, for some, still is).
Has it only been a quarter of a century since this happened?
New York, NY. Washington, DC. Shanksville, PA. Three cities where evil made its mark in all its ugliness as well as when heroism showed itself in all its glory.
The most unforgettable number: 2,996.
Yet still after two-and-one-half decades, we have kept a promise. We have created an unofficial holiday to mark this moment in our history, borrowing a name from another state holiday. We give it all the solemn services it deserves. We eulogy it in print in ways small (like this post) and large (just search for them). We have added to it opportunities to serve our local communities as a reminder we are not isolated from our fellow human beings.
Our remembrance goes beyond honoring the dead. It is also a reminder, in a very subdued way, of the cost of freedom. This experiment of civilized societal living, unlike the world has ever experienced, is so fragile yet so strong and resilient. It is realizing the motto of this country. It is continuing to choose, despite and in spite of our differences, to live as one.
We continue to mourn. But we also continue to celebrate the ever ongoing process of uniting. It is a reminder we are stronger together. It is both/and today.
Never Forget.
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