We Will Always Remember: 9/11 | Eastern NC Now

    Today - 14 years later - the shock and awe still haunts us, although perhaps a bit softened over the years. The pain and the heartache, though, still grips us. We are affected not as Men or Women, Young or Old, Rich or Poor, professionals or not, or members of any ethnic group. The memory affects us as Americans. On the morning of 9/11, our enemies didn't target any one group over another. They targeted Americans. Firefighters and other first responders risked their lives to save those dying and in danger.. They didn't see the scared and suffering in terms of race, religion, gender, or profession. They simply saw them as fellow Americans.

    The spirit that the terrorists tried so hard to kill on September 11 has never been stronger. The attacks only solidified our commitment that America will survive and freedom will ring. The attacked forged a new generation of patriots. Men and women have been inspired in force to join the armed services. Over 3 million have volunteered.

    The anniversary of 9/11 is about honoring and remembering. We remember the lives cut short and the families wretched in grief. We remember the horror, the fear, the courage, the devastation. We wondered... we hoped and prayed that God was merciful that day. We were grateful for the selflessness of the responders. We remember the brave firefighters who went up fiery blackened, smoke-filled staircases to save complete strangers and the clergy who performed the last rites and comforted those who were injured and dying. 343 firemen and paramedics lost their lives on that fateful morning. We have such fondness and respect for our firefighters. They are a special breed. For one, the death card is one that every firefighter carries in his hand. He hopes he never has to play it, but it's always there. Every time we hear a siren or a fire truck wail, we instantly know that a life will be saved. Sadly, we never know if the fireman's life will be sacrificed.

   The anniversary of 9/11 is also about respect and an unspoken duty to keep 9/11 from fading in significance. It's about a solemn promise to fellow Americans to keep their spirit and sacrifice alive. As Scottish poet Thomas Campbell wrote: "To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." 3000 unarmed, innocent Americans were targeted for death in NYC and Washington DC for no other reason except they were Americans. It could have easily been my husband or my child who was on one of those planes, or your husband, wife, or child.

    It is said that the test of any religion, government, political system, or educational system is the type of man or person that it forms. With that in mind, let us think back to the way Americans came together in light of the suffering of their fellow man. And then compare our system to the one which produced the monsters who flew planes into buildings and the animals who cheered as Americans suffered and died.

    May all those who died on 9/11 rest in eternal peace, may all those who responded and are still with us continue to share the story of that day, may all the family members of those who died responding to the peril and fate of their fellow New Yorkers, may they be comforted by esteemed place they occupy in our hearts, and may all Americans continue to remember what happened on that horrific day...

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon
Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon ("Gone Too Soon," by Michael Jackson)

The Rufino Family will always remember 9/11.



    Publisher's note: Contributor Diane Rufino also serves of co-publisher for Pitt County NOW.