On the morning of September 11, 2001, our hearts broke. The skyline of New York City was forever changed, and with it, the lives of millions. What rose from the ashes was more than dust... was Bravery, compassion, and a shared grief that united the world.

The Twin Towers were more than steel and concrete. Designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki as “a living symbol of man’s dedication to world peace,” the World Trade Center stood for progress and cooperation among nations. The possibilities of goodness.

Each tower soared over 1,360 feet into the sky, a beacon of human achievement. Within their walls, people from around the globe worked, dreamed, and built futures. The tragedy of their fall is measured not only in lives lost, but in the ache of interrupted purpose.

In the hours after the towers fell, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani became a steady voice in the storm, calling the attack “the most horrendous thing” he had ever witnessed. His calm presence brought comfort to many. Author Tom Clancy echoed the disbelief: “It’s the sort of thing best left in a novel, not in life.”

And yet, even in the face of unimaginable sorrow, we witnessed courage. Firefighters, strangers, neighbors, and friends — reaching out to one another, lifting each other through the smoke and heartbreak. In the darkness, light returned. A beloved Callery pear tree survived. Hope returned.

We remember not just what we lost, but what we found: unity. Compassion. Humanity. We carry that forward.

And in time, that forward path took shape as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a place to remember. A sacred space of healing, where the water flows and names are never forgotten.

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