15 years. Paradoxically, it seems a lifetime has passed since that blue skied morning, yet it also tugs at our being as if it were just a blink ago. We, Americans and the World together, look upon this day with a deep sense of reverence. It marks a moment when the world came together. And for one small Canadian town, it marks the not-told-enough story of when the world came to town.
9-11. Even the date is graphic representation of the Twin Towers.
It’s not lost on me that I will be flying into our nation’s capital this morning. My short jaunt from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. will be on another blue skied morning of September 11. I will see the Potomac River and behold the iconic sites as we descend. I will inhale with silent awe, as I do each time I see our capital city. I’ve spent my life walking the tourist routes and insider alleys, yet D.C. never loses its luster. It’s a dream town for a woman who loves history and politics and words and art and food.
Today I’d be lying if I said I were flying with my chest puffed out in a blaze confidence. I admittedly fly on this day with a hint of trepidation. I will be meeting friends from Shot@Life to ready ourselves for a day of meetings tomorrow. Doing good work. Advocating for global health and access to vaccines in the developing world. Sharing laughs and unbridled joy among friends. There is no better salve. And so I will fly to Washington today knowing that fear doesn’t shape us, hate doesn’t guide us. Rather, service is kindling for the flame that fires up our spirits, and that love for our fellow human beings breathes life into each fiber of the world, no matter how much the threads seem to be unraveling.