Yesterday morning, as I was coming through the security line at Denver International Airport, the T.S.A. agent stopped his work for a moment and pointed up to the overhanging balcony. I turned and noticed that the flag was being presented for a 9/11 memorial tribute. It amazed me how fast the thousands of passengers in the security suddenly got quiet to show their respect. The world just stopped.

After a moment of silence, Amazing Grace was played on the bagpipes, and I did get a little teary-eyed. I love how we, as an American people are able to take this horrible act of terror and turn it into a day of remembrance, prayer, and reflection on what makes this nation so great! I don’t think the men who committed these atrocities, fifteen years ago, knew that they would ultimately, and in many ways bring us together and make us stronger.

Where were you on that day? I was living in North Logan, Utah at the time. I remember my dear friend Brooke calling me and telling me to turn on the TV because “We were bombed!”. I asked her what channel to turn to- she told me ANY CHANNEL. Soon, I realized that it wasn’t a bomb, but a plane had been flown into one of the buildings at the World Trade Center in New York City. My eyes stayed glued to the television and I remembered being so frightened as I watched the second plane collide with the second building.

One of my crashpad roommates, Amy, has her own tradition where she never works on September Eleventh. She puts on her flight attendant uniform and goes to 9/11 memorial grounds at Ground Zero in Manhattan to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that day. I would like to make this my new tradition. She and I have decided to organize a group of friends and fellow flight attendants who want to attend this event in 2017. I figure a year is plenty of time to plan this. Perhaps this can become a new tradition for myself and others as well.