I’ve been quiet lately, taking massive amounts of information in, calling my Senators, listening, reading. . . but today I will take some time to stop worrying about the future and let this day be about remembering who and what we lost all those years ago. Today is not to dwell on conspiracies and lies about the events of that terrible day or how the current regime still uses this tragedy and others to spread hate; today we think of the families who have an empty seat at the table and an empty place in their hearts. And I’ll send out a “thank you” once again to the first responders and all the other personnel who got the nation and the world through the trauma, the sorrow. I was in (police) dispatch then, and as rough as it was more than one thousand miles away from all of the tragedies, I can’t imagine what everyone close went through. We mourned as a nation, and we stood together as a nation. We got through it with love and hope, and I truly believe love and hope are what we need today, too.

Featured photo is from Getty images remembrance page.