Today marks 25 years since September 11, 2001.
For someone my age, it’s almost impossible to believe that much time has passed since that terrible morning.
At the time, I was a young father. My oldest son Dylan was two years old (that’s him and I at the WTC in November 2000) we had another son on the way. Like so many people, I remember watching the events unfold and trying to comprehend what was happening.
But I also remember looking at my little boy and asking myself a question that I suspect millions of parents were asking that day:
What kind of world are my boys going to grow up in?
Twenty-five years later, I find myself thinking about that question again.
My boys are grown now. While the world they grew up in certainly wasn’t perfect, neither was the world I grew up in. There have been wars, division, uncertainty, tragedy and plenty of moments when we’ve wondered where we’re headed.
There has also been an incredible amount of good.
People helping people. Communities coming together. Families growing. Friendships forming. People falling in love, getting married, starting careers, creating new businesses, chasing dreams and building lives.
And maybe that’s one of the things I’ve come to appreciate more as I’ve gotten older.
We don’t get to choose the world we’re handed. But we do get to choose what we contribute to it.
Twenty-five years ago, I wondered what kind of world my boys would grow up in.
Today, maybe the better question is:
What kind of world are each of us helping to create?
Are we adding kindness?
Are we creating connection?
Are we helping someone who needs it?
Are we making our little corner of the world just a little bit better?
Today is obviously a day to remember the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost, their families, and the countless lives that were forever changed.
For me, it’s also a day to remember just how precious and fragile this life really is.
Twenty-five years goes by incredibly fast.
Love your people unconditionally.
Appreciate the moments.
Do some good while you’re here.
Because none of us knows how much time we get.
Cheers to those we love, those we’ve lost, and to remembering
One Quarter Turn at a Time
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