09/11, We Remember.

On a Tuesday morning, 20 years ago, the world watched breathlessly an act of terror, thousands of lives were lost and from that, we learned - the hardest way - that we should love hard, forgive hard, embrace hard those we love.

Maybe, you are young and have just heard about it, but most of us still recollect what we were doing, where we were, and who we were with, so impacting those images and news felt. Politically wise we could mention the fact that terror had chosen the heart of capitalism (the Twin Towers, in lower Manhattan), the symbol of the US army force (the Pentagon), and yet another plane was meant to crash either into the Capitol or the White House. But what really stroke us all the hardest were the lives...the thousands of lives lost in those buildings and planes, the faces of those walking down the streets of Manhattan covered in soot or of people who just mirrored our gasps when looking at the images.

When does an individual lose connection to other human beings?

Why do we choose the quest to power over humanity? brotherhood? good?

I don't believe that we have yet come across an answer to these questions. Nevertheless, in the attempt of doing so, we look back.

It is quite defiant for it invites us to ponder on human nature, on pains we are capable of inflicting upon those we do not agree with, upon those who dare to believe or have their faith different from ours. Extremism, fanatism, power hunger, wrath, hate only trickle down to violence, poverty, alienation, intolerance, and slavery.

History teaches us we should never forget; on the contrary, we must remember, honor, learn, move forward, and build a good world by laboring hard to eradicate the shadow in our souls by shining our light bright, so bright that those around us recognize it in themselves and are compelled to join in; for we are children of the universe, we have its DNA - perfectibility.

Today we honor the first responders who so selflessly gave their lives for those in need. We honor workers who stayed behind to make sure their colleagues had left the office. We honor those who grabbed a stranger's hand and helped them through the cloud of smoke or debris. we honor the hundreds and hundreds of doctors and nurses who took care of survivors, those who stood in line to donate blood, and people who came forward and offered their service to whatever it was needed.

First and foremost, I send all of my love to those wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, friends who lost loved ones. God bless you. Thank you all for teaching us so much about bravery and resilience.

I invite you to join hands and send a prayer to those who perished, to those who grieve, to those who fought or are still fighting terror, and to those who survived.

Peace and Love.

09/11, 2021

Joice Albanez