13 Years After… The Anniversary of 9/11

Some thoughts on the anniversary of 9/11 …. a time to remember lives taken and innocence lost. Citizens of 90 countries –nearly 3000 in all – were sacrificed for hate, including 24 Canadians.

The savagery that toppled the World Trade Towers changed our world and the fears that gripped us that day haunt us still.

Today, my heart is with all the Canadian families who lost a loved one. For many years, we all gathered in New York City at the site where the twin towers once stood – to mark the day together….to celebrate the lives of those who were taken too soon and to comfort those left behind.

At the time, there were so many selfless acts of generosity across America in the wake of 9/11. The families believed that rather than just their need to mourn, each and every citizen could honour the memory of those lost by doing something good and kind for another.

The Canadian families began to ask us – Canada as a country – to dedicate September 11^th,  each and every year, as a day that Canadians could take time for some small act of kindness or a quiet gesture of generosity.

They asked me –as someone who has been close to them in the years after 9/11 – to take this idea forward in the Senate so it would have the imprimatur of the Parliament of Canada.

This day of commemoration would remind all of us of the outpouring of the unity that we witnessed in the wake of the horror.

It is the giving and the generosity that truly constitutes a lasting memorial to the victims of terror everywhere, including the men and women of our military who lost friends and fellow soldiers as they met the enemy on the ground in Afghanistan. So for many, this day will also be a time to reflect on those who go into harm’s way to protect the values we hold dear.

We finally saw the declaration of The National Day of Service Act on the 10^th anniversary –as the families once again gathered in New York.

What makes this declaration so powerful is that it was the families themselves who asked for this – they did not seek big stone memorials or flag waving and fanfare – just a simple signal that we would always remember to pay it forward to honour those who paid the ultimate price.

I can only hope that all Canadians, every September 11^th, through unheralded and unannounced acts of kindness will keep that generosity of spirit alive – to pay it forward – in memory of those whose brave and courageous sacrifice must never be forgotten.

Pamela