Newsletter Vol 1. No 17

September is an important month in our calendar for many reasons including marking the end of summer and the return to school and the beginning of the traditional academic year. It is also a somber time. While each day we remember the attack on America on 9/11, this month we especially remember the victims, the families, and the survivors, many of whom are continuing to cope with chronic illness and catastrophic loss. This September we mark the 24th Anniversary of that tragic day, September 11, 2001, and recognize the lasting consequences of that attack on our Country and on our way of life.

Nearly a quarter century has passed since the September 11th, attacks, but for many, the emotions of the day remain raw as ever. Last Thursday, America marked the 24th anniversary of the deadly attacks with solemn ceremonies in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The commemorations were punctuated by moments of silence, the tolling of bells and the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 killed.

The 9/11 anniversary, often promoted as a day of national unity, came during a time of increased political tension especially due to the rise of domestic terrorism in our country, seen most recently in the assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, a day earlier. Many in the crowd at ground zero held up photos of lost loved ones as a moment of silence marked the exact time when the first hijacked plane struck the iconic twin towers. Loved ones then read aloud the names of the victims, with many giving personal remembrances, well wishes and updates on their lives.

At the Pentagon in Virginia, the 184 service members and civilians killed when hijackers steered a jetliner into the headquarters of the U.S. military were honored in a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and first lady, Melania Trump.

And in a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a ceremony attended by Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins honored the victims of Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed after crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit.

Elsewhere, people marked the anniversary with service projects and charitable works as part of a National Day of Service. Volunteers took part in food and clothing drives, park and neighborhood cleanups, blood banks and other community events.

In all, the attacks by al-Qaida militants killed 2,977 people, including many financial workers at the World Trade Center and firefighters and police officers who had rushed to the burning buildings trying to save lives.

The attacks reverberated globally, altering the course of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. It led to the “Global War on Terrorism,” and the U.S-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraqand related conflicts that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and troops.

The U.S. government has also spent billions of dollars providing health care and compensation to tens of thousands of people who were exposed to the toxic dust that billowed over parts of Manhattan when the twin towers collapsed.

While the hijackers died in the attacks, federal officials have struggled to conclude the long-running legal case against the man accused of masterminding the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The former al-Qaida leader was arrested in 2003, but has never received a trial.

Nearly 25 years have passed since the September 11, 2001, attacks, yet many still feel the emotions of that day.

You may, like so many others, feel the grief of that awful day and the grief from other losses. Everyone experiences their own, unique grief and ways of grieving. Grief will always be there, like a wound that scabs and then, in time, becomes a scar. Grief becomes a part of you; a part of your identity. Here, at Inspire Behavioral Health, we are here to help you grow on a pathway through your grief. Please call us today and schedule an appointment to talk with one of our psychotherapists. You are not alone.