Dear you,

We miss you. It has been a long seven years without you, and every day we think of you. It has been hard since you left us. There are big holes in our lives where you used to be. We were so scared when you left us. We were numb with shock and grief, and then there was this terrible pain. Such pain, for such a senseless act of violence.

It's hard for us to dwell on your last moments, but we know they must have been very frightening. We're glad that is over for you now, and we hope you are in a much better place.

I just want you to know, America didn't give up. There were people on the streets that day, walking out of Manhattan, and they were cheering on the police and the firefighters who kept going in to help. After that, people lined up at blood banks around the country. Big musical stars and celebrities got together and raised money for the families you had to leave behind. People flooded into New York City from every state, police officers and firefighters and military people and regular citizens, just wanting to do whatever it took to help. Do you know, they had the World Trade Center Plaza cleaned up more quickly than anyone expected? People worked night and day, to keep America's spirits up and to move forward. Not to forget you, you understand. America needed to know that the country could recover, and move forward, but never forget. Never.

We couldn't forget you. Ever. You were brave, you were doing what you were supposed to do, and your life was ripped from you much too soon. We miss you so much. Every day.

And then, to show our enemies that America wouldn't give up, and to help those of us left here, people designed a beautiful building to stand where the World Trade Center used to be. They made a beautiful memorial at the Pentagon, and one in Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed. It's not enough, really. Nothing can ever replace you. But it helps, some. We grieved and grieved, but eventually we came to understand that we had to go on, while we remembered.

I just wanted you to know, I'm so very sorry we lost you, and we won't ever forget.




Rest in peace. We will never forget.