September 13, 2001

Sep 10, 2021
On January 1 we celebrate new beginnings, but usually by the 23rd of the month the gym parking lots are no longer packed. 
 
On February 14 we celebrate love, but usually by the 24th the roses have wilted.
 
On July 4 we celebrate independence, but by the 5th the fireworks have lost their sparkle. 
 
On December 25 we celebrate Christ’s birth, but by the 26th we’re thinking about returns and taking down the tree. 
 
On September 11 we all remember a day that forever changed American life and history, but by September 13th political wars are again raging within our native land and we’re once again divided. 
 
September 11, 2001 is a date in which we’ll never forget where we were when the events unfolded. Just like when Kennedy was shot or the Challenger exploded, it seemed for just a minute time stood still and nothing else mattered but that moment being chronicled on the television screen. 
 
Unlike New Year’s Day or the Fourth of July, the days that followed September 11, 2001 are the days we miss the most. 
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We miss the American spirit that began rolling across the prairies and city streets. 
 
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We miss the abundance of American flags being displayed at high school football games, on interstate overpasses, by motorcyclists traveling cross-country, those hanging from 15-floor apartment balconies and painted on old rural barns.
 
We miss the way Lee Greenwood became a household name and voice again. 
 
We miss the way that nothing mattered for a few days but the safety of our families and that we were all together. If just for a brief time, family dinners, phone calls and visits became the norm again.
 
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We miss the way that a sense of pride came over Americans and we were determined to take on the enemy that slept outside our great borders, as long as we were taking them on, together.  
 
We miss the days when we took true interest in what was going on in our country and paid great attention to current world events. 
 
We miss seeing, reading, and saying, “United We Stand” and truly believing it. 
 
We miss September 13, 2001 and often wish that our country could go back to that day. Not the shear horror, confusion or the numb shock of September 11, but the unity, patriotism and compassion for one another that came in the days that followed.

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Can we get back there?
 
Can we get back to honoring our flag and teaching our children the significance of those colors?
 
Can we get back to being proud to live in this great country because of the opportunities we have at our fingertips, the rich history we that made us who we are and the beautiful landscapes that offer so much in the way of food, fiber and enjoyment?
 
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Can we get back to compassion instead of competition, kindness instead of animosity and service instead of solitude?
 
Can we get back to more prayer and less political divide?
 
We think we can, and we hope you agree.
 
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