9/11 Words

The following was an introduction I gave to an informal remembrance service here at Duncaster.

Good afternoon. Thanks for coming.

It’s really been a beautiful day today, much like the Sept. 11 of 2001. It’s a fine late summer, early fall day. A normal Sunday here at Duncaster. It is unlikely that we’ll remember much about today 10 years from now because it is such a normal day. But we do remember the September 11 of 10 years ago. That day was not a normal Tuesday, although the weather was beautiful. We know where we were that day, what we did, what we saw on the television, who we called, what we felt.

Yes, it was a day of death and destruction. But it was more than that. It was a day we can look back at with pride, as well as sorrow. It was a day when many people became heroes by helping their fellow man. And it did not matter if they were young or old, man or woman, rich or poor, CEO or secretary, stranger or friend. It made no difference. People were in trouble and needed help and many Americans stepped up to the plate to provide that help.

It was a day that changed the lives of many. It certainly changed our country. It was an important day.

Like Pearl Harbor, this day that will live in infamy, but it was also a day when this country’s honor showed through. It is a day that must be remembered. Let’s begin remembering by singing a song we’ve known all of our lives – America the Beautiful.