While I do not remember September 11th specifically, I was in preschool and three years old at the time. I was born in New York but raised in northern New Jersey, about a half an hour drive northwest of Manhattan. September 11th was chaotically devastating for those in Bergen County, New Jersey, due to our proximity to Manhattan. At the time, my father was a lawyer and my mother was a physician commuting to a hospital in the Bronx. The attacks occurred soon after my father dropped me off at school, and he along with other drivers had pulled their cars over on New Jersey Route 120 to witness the burning of the Twin Towers. My uncle also worked for an investment firm on Wall Street and had made it out of Lower Manhattan just in time. Due to all the bridges being closed, my uncle had to take a ferry home from work. My father said when the planes hit people were devastated, but when they collapsed everyone knew the world had changed.

I am now an adult and work for an investment firm in Boston. I am also a pilot, and it is hard to see an airplane used for such an evil purpose. Every so often thinking about the numerous innocent lives lost, and the families they left behind makes you realize how fortunate you really are. Immense gratitude to the first responders, some of whom have recently passed away due to inhaling toxic chemicals from the burning buildings. The Twin Towers were gorgeous buildings that were immensely tall and gave you an unobstructed complete view of the city. Never ever forget September 11th.