Today marks the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001…

The drone light show titled “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor” was performed by Sky Elements Drone Shows.

As most of the world is aware, today marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a day that changed the United States and, in many ways, the world forever. Even after a quarter of a century, it is difficult to think about that morning without remembering where we were, what we were doing, and the disbelief that followed as the unimaginable unfolded before our eyes.

On that beautiful September morning, 19 terrorists associated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger airplanes. They did not choose their targets at random. They represented some of the most recognizable symbols of American economic, military, and political power.

Two of the hijacked airplanes were flown directly into the World Trade Center towers in New York City. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., followed 17 minutes later by United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the South Tower. Images of those enormous buildings burning, then collapsing, became permanently etched in the memories of people around the world.

The World Trade Center was more than two buildings. It was an important center of international business and commerce and a defining part of the New York City skyline. Thousands of people were working in the towers and the surrounding complex that morning. In less than two hours, the towers were gone, along with thousands of innocent lives.

The third airplane, American Airlines Flight 77, was flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense and one of the most important symbols of America’s military establishment. The attack killed everyone aboard the aircraft as well as people inside the building.

The fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, never reached its intended destination. After passengers and crew learned through telephone calls that other hijacked planes had been used as weapons, they fought back against the hijackers. The plane ultimately crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Although we can never know with certainty what its intended target was, investigators believe it was likely headed toward either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

In total, nearly 3,000 innocent people from many countries lost their lives that day. Firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, office employees, airline passengers, flight crews, and ordinary people simply beginning another day were suddenly caught in an act of unimaginable terrorism.

Twenty-five years later, the physical landscape has changed. New York has rebuilt. The Pentagon was repaired. A memorial now stands at the Pennsylvania crash site. Yet the memories remain.

For Tom and me, having spent almost 14 years traveling the world, we have seen firsthand how different cultures, countries, and people can be. We have also learned that despite those differences, ordinary people everywhere share many of the same hopes, dreams, fears, and desires for their families.

September 11 reminds us of how fragile life can be and how quickly an ordinary morning can become a moment remembered forever.

Today, we remember those who were lost, those who survived, and the countless families, friends, first responders, and others whose lives were forever changed.

Twenty-five years have passed, but we must never forget.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 11, 2016: