September 11, 2023

It was a day I said I’d never forget. I was called to the phone in my dorm hallway and heard the news my dog had been killed by a car. I no longer remember the date.

It was a bright clear spring day when I won the award. I wanted to scream with joy. “Clearly, I’ll never forget today,” I whispered to a friend. I no longer even think of the day.

Remembering is important, but no matter how good we think we are at it, no matter how tragic or joyous the moment, time fades our memories. It takes effort to remember. It takes practice to make it a habit. But it’s worth it.

Today is a day when I never want to forget what happened years ago. The world stopped, the world changed forever, and yet with every passing year my memories fade, and I almost forget.  

Almost.

In seminary we were taught the importance of remembering in the Jewish faith. To remember was to re-member, as in bring back, to put back together. To remember someone who died is to bring them into the present. To recall a significant event is to bring it (and its significance) forward.

Today, I re-member the tragedy of 9/11. I remember the sadness. I remember the awe in which I stood when hearing about the courage and bravery that fateful day. I never want to forget. I always want to re-member the events and people of that September 11th years ago.