It’s Friday. It’s Football Friday. But before we finish the workweek and before the stadium lights come on and the cheers begin…we pause…
Today marks 25 years since September 11, 2001 - - one of the darkest and most heartbreaking days in our nation’s history.
For those of us who lived through that day, the memories remain vivid. We remember where we were when we first heard the news. We remember gathering around televisions and trying to understand what was happening. We remember the shock, the fear and the terrible uncertainty—wondering whether more attacks were coming, where they might happen and whether the people we loved were safe. With every new report, we struggled to comprehend the unimaginable and slowly realized that countless lives - - and our nation - - had changed forever. It was a day that divided time into before and after.
We Remember the Lives
Today, we remember every life lost on September 11th. We remember the people who went to work that morning, boarded an airplane or began what should have been an ordinary day—never knowing they would not return home.
We remember the husbands and wives, moms and dads, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers. We remember the families who waited for news and the loved ones who have carried an unimaginable absence for 25 years.
Behind every name was a life, a family and a story that mattered.
We Remember the Heroes
We also remember the heroes who ran toward danger while others were trying to escape it.
Firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders climbed stairs, entered burning buildings and continued forward without knowing what awaited them. Ordinary people helped strangers, comforted the frightened and made courageous choices during terrifying moments.
As the wife of a fire chief & first responder, I understand that answering the call means being willing to go toward the emergency when everyone else is being told to move away. On September 11th, the world witnessed that courage and sacrifice on a scale we will never forget.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” ~John 15:13 KJV
We honor those who gave their lives that day, those who continued searching and serving in the days that followed and those whose health and lives were forever affected by what they experienced.
Let’s Also Remember September 12th
Twenty-five years later, let’s remember September 11th—but let’s also remember the people we were on September 12th.
We woke up heartbroken, shaken and uncertain, but we stood together.
American flags appeared on front porches, barns, businesses and along small-town streets. Churches opened their doors. People filled pews and bowed their heads in prayer. Neighbors checked on neighbors.
Strangers treated one another with greater patience and kindness.
We hugged our families a little tighter. We said “I love you” more freely. We thanked first responders. We remembered that despite our differences, we were one nation.
For a time, the things that divided us seemed much smaller than the things we shared.
We were reminded that life is precious, tomorrow is not promised and there is strength in standing together. We prayed together. We grieved together. We cared for one another.
May we never forget that part, either.
Teaching the Next Generation
Many of the young people that will be sitting beneath tonight’s stadium lights were not even born yet on September 11, 2001. To them, it is history - - a chapter in a book, a lesson at school or a story told by parents and grandparents.
It is our responsibility to help them understand that September 11th was more than a date.
We must tell them about the lives that were lost and the families who were forever changed. We must teach them about the courage of the first responders and the everyday people who helped one another. We must also tell them about September 12th—about the compassion, faith, unity and love of country that rose from the heartbreak.
They need to know why we lower our flags.
They need to know why we pause.
They need to know why we promised never to forget.
Before the Lights Come On
Later today, the stadium lights will come on. Bands will play, cheerleaders will cheer and communities will gather beneath the Friday night sky. Families will sit together in the stands, young people will take the field and another Football Friday will become part of our hometown memories.
There is something especially meaningful about seeing an American flag flying above a small-town football field. It represents the freedoms we enjoy, the sacrifices made to protect them and the responsibility we share to never take them for granted.
So before the kickoff, the music and the cheering, may we take a moment to be still.
May we remember the lives.
May we honor the heroes.
May we pray for the families whose loss remains with them 25 years later.
May we thank the first responders who continue to answer the call in communities across our country.
And may we remember the people we were on September 12th—united, compassionate, prayerful and willing to care for one another.
Today, we pause.
Today, we honor.
Today, we remember. 🇺🇸
Never forget September 11, 2001. And never forget the spirit of September 12th.
🤍 Kelley
Kelley’s Farm Wife Favorites