Fourteen years ago, I woke up thinking the worst thing that could happen that day was that I would be getting some teeth pulled.

A half an hour before my twin sister and I went into oral surgery at Memorial Hospital, we found out that our situation paled drastically in comparison to the experience millions of Americans underwent that morning.

Other than that surgery and the fact that I was missing school, I don’t remember much about Sept. 11, 2001, but to this day, what I do remember brings tears to my eyes.

I remember sitting in front of the television watching the news when the headline flashed across the screen.

I remember my sister asking my mom what the World Trade Center was, and if it was tall enough for a plane to crash into by accident.

I remember my mother crying, and my step-dad encouraging us to leave the room.

A month shy of 11 years old, I still had a lot to learn about the world. While my parents had always taken time to explain big issues and remind us of the significance of voting, that’s pretty much where my patriotism ended.

While I don’t remember many of the other details about Sept. 11, I do remember the weeks and months that followed, and what sticks out in my mind is a stark contrast between pain and empowerment.

There’s an old cliché my mom has always repeated during hard times: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Thousands of people lost their lives that day, but the American spirit could not be slain. Through the pain, our country became more unified, more loving, more powerful.

You couldn’t go a mile without seeing red, white and blue displayed in some fashion. People hugged their children closer and thanked God for what they had.

To my young eyes, it seemed that everyone was searching desperately for a way to give back to the country. Some gave blood. Some held prayer vigils. My fifth grade class made American flag pins to sell and raise money for victims’ families.

We focused on the positive — what we could do to help others, and how we could remain strong as a country.

As time has passed and the pain has lessened, I fear this positivity has also softened.

Too often negative news fills headlines. Fights break out for senseless reasons. Food banks are empty and too many charities beg for volunteers.

As a whole, our country seems angrier, sadder and worse off.

As we mourn one of the worst tragedies in American history Friday, I hope everyone will take a moment to remember the desire to help they felt 14 years ago. I hope they remember to count their blessings, call their loved ones and tell them they love them, say a prayer for the suffering and display our flag proudly.

I hope we remember that no matter how broken we may seem as a country now, at one of the weakest points in our history, we stood strong, and we could do the same today.

 

Ambrosia Neldon is the managing editor at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7713, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com