I Wonder

I was driving in Dallas today on Central Expressway towards downtown. Two individuals on the Yale Blvd. overpass were holding a 10 ft. banner for everyone passing below to read. On it was printed "9-11 WE WILL NEVER FORGET." It made me wonder.

First, I wondered how long they had been standing there. I saw them sometime before noon. Who knows when they arrived, unfurled that banner, and began their dignified demonstration. How long does one stand in such a public spot like that in order to memorialize an event which is already being recounted and remembered in countless ways throughout the day and across our nation?

I wondered how many motorists like myself had noticed their message. They stood motionless in plain sight above the expressway. They weren't hard to see, but they didn't really stand out either. I suppose many people probably passed by without ever seeing them. Surely, though, most drivers or passengers were observant and noticed those heralds overhead. I wonder how others responded to seeing that message. Was it moving? Emotional? Even appreciated?

I wondered what kind of connection those two individuals holding the banner felt towards the national tragedy that occurred three years ago today. Were they grieving an acquaintance who's life had been lost in the terrorist attacks? Did they simply feel moved to make sense of our nation's loss by acting in a way they thought was most appropriate? Were they feeling especially patriotic and supportive on this symbolic day of reverence and resolve?

Curiously, I had been reading Martha T. Moore's article from the Friday edition of USA Today about an hour before driving underneath that banner. Her article revealed how several families were coping with the loss of daughters, sons, husbands, and wives killed during the events of September 11, 2001. Specifically, the article focused on how those who passed away were being remembered by family and friends who found comfort in starting charities and fundraisers to honor the memory of their loved ones. I found the article's closing comment by Liz Alderman to be most poignant and insightful on how we should remember those who fell during 9-11.

Liz lost her youngest son, Peter, who was 25 years old when he died in the World Trade Center that fateful day. The federal victims compensation fund paid $1.5 million to Peter's parents for his death. Liz and her husband put the entire amount into a program that trains doctors to treat victims of mass violence in countries like Rwanda, Cambodia and Bosnia. In explaining the reason for their decision to spend the money this way she said, "I don't believe you can keep someone's memory alive. Peter's memory is going to die out with the generation that heard him laugh or saw him smile. I want to leave an indelible mark that he was here."

I wonder how others will choose to make a difference in a world that is hurting, beaten, and bruised. I wonder how many more grieving people will envision ways to improve the lives of others through their own loss. I wonder what significance people have found in dealing with this experience. I wonder if everyone realizes now just how fragile and precious life really is.

I wonder what we will continue to remember about this day in years to come.