Twenty years later: Remembering 9/11

When many people recall September 11, 2001, they speak about how the day began like any other, how spectacularly blue the sky was that Tuesday morning, and where they were when the greatest act of terror on US soil occurred.

For some, the realization that the world had forever changed was a precise moment in time – an instant recognition that an undefined line had been permanently crossed. For others, there was a struggle to understand images and headlines that didn’t match our sense of security and humanity. But for anyone who lived through and remembers that day, we all bear a scar from the darkest chapter in modern American history.

They say that time heals all wounds, but the deepest wounds leave both physical and emotional scars. Scars can make us uncomfortable, but they also force us to never forget. It’s the reason why September 11 will never fade from our collective memory.

We will always remember the selflessness of those who ran towards danger in Lower Manhattan, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

We will always remember the first funeral we attended, and each one that followed.

We will always remember the unspeakable grief of the families who were left behind.

We will always remember the courage and sacrifices of those who defended our nation at home and abroad in the months and years that followed.

We will always the remember the spirit of empathy, generosity and patriotism that bound us together as we wept and mourned.

And we will always remember the thousands who perished 20 years ago tomorrow – including our UBS colleagues Jennieann Maffeo, Scott H. Saber, and Wai Ching Chung.

This weekend, join me in praying for those we lost and their loved ones, and the heroes who helped our country endure and rise again.