Remembering 9-11
Posted September 11, 2009

No doubt you remember exactly where you were and exactly what you were doing when you first heard the news that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. Perhaps, like many, you thought it was a freak accident.

Then, news of the second plane's impact reached your ears.

Then, reports of a plane crashing into the Pentagon.

Then, news of an airplane crash in Pennsylvania.

In a matter of minutes, our understanding of the world changed forever.

Things that seemed important yesterday, today were trivial. And things that yesterday we had little time for, today became our greatest priority. The importance of that job deadline that had consumed all of our energies suddenly paled in light of spending time with our families. Climbing the corporate ladder to reach the top suddenly held little value next to being a good father, mother, husband, or wife. And buying that new house, or car, or boat suddenly seemed insignificant when compared with helping our neighbor - or even helping total strangers.

It's been eight years since the terrorist attacks of 2001, and in many ways, some of us have inadvertently slipped back into our old system of priorities.

But even though time has passed - and with it perhaps some of the resolution we felt to place family, friends, and neighbors first - the truly important things in life remain the same.

Work is good. Careers are beneficial. But they are not where true value lies.

On that day in 2001, many here in New Jersey lost family, friends, and loved ones. Without question they would trade every success experienced in the past eight years if they could have just one more moment with those they lost.

It's admirable to want to be the best at one's job, but a true and lasting legacy is not one of increasing bottom lines but of loving and serving our families and neighbors and giving back to others.

Today, as we remember those who perished that day as well as the men and women who have given their lives since then in the war on terror, let us place renewed importance on our relationships with our family, with our friends, and in our community. And let us always remember it is the intangible and not the tangible things that are truly important.

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