With the exception of people born after 2004, everyone in some capacity remembers September 11, 2001.

 

Maybe you were in front of your TV when the news broke.  Or maybe you were no where near it and got a frantic phone call to turn it on.  Doesn’t make a big difference either way: we all found out the same day.  We all witnessed what happened.

 

And if you’re like me, maybe every time this day comes up, you wish there was something you could do.

 

Maybe you wish there was more you could be doing.

 

Dealing with history is tough.  Because while you can memorialize things and spread awareness, you feel helpless from the standpoint that you can’t change what happened.

 

But what you can do is uphold our American promise to the victims and heroes of our day: Never Forget.

 

What you can do is remember 9-11.

 

Below I am sharing a few ways we can memorialize September 11 in everyday life.

 

Note about links: this post contains affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, may provide me with a compensation if you click through and choose to make a purchase.

 

1. Plant a Memorial Tree

 

Two years ago, I talked a lot about the Survivor Tree, still living at Ground Zero in NYC.  Planting a Callery Pear (or any tree) is a very good way to memorialize 9-11 in your life.  Better still would be if you could tie a black ribbon around the trunk, or put a little marker bearing the date.

 

If a tree is just beyond your gardening availability (I can’t plant one where I am), memorial plants are a great alternative.  Especially if it’s a flowering plant.  The randomized blooming is a special way to bring the memory up when you aren’t expecting it.  Even more, there is something healing about taking care of a living plant that represents something that has been lost.

 

 

2.  Journal About 9-11

 

The journal could of course begin with your personal recollection of what took place.  But the journal can go beyond that if you include, throughout the years, stories you hear from others regarding the attacks.  Whether it’s someone else’s memory of that day, or the actual account of a survivor you read or watch somewhere, memoralizing it in a journal is a good way to preserve the events.   The larger the journal gets, the more you’ll have to read in retrospect.  Maybe one day you will want to share it!

 

 

 

 

3. Sticker your Car

 

It’s a small gesture.  But it’s a very visible one, and promotes public remembrance.   This one is my favorite.

 

If putting stickers on your car is not your thing (or you don’t own one), consider decorating your water bottle, cooler, camper top, laptop, or phone!

 

Or maybe…sticker yourself? A memorial tattoo (or teeshirt) is another solid reminder to yourself and our community of the tragedy of 9-11.

 

 

4. Visit the Attack Sites

 

This is obviously not an easy thing to do, physically, financially, or emotionally.  But if you live within a reasonable distance or find yourself in the area, consider visiting one or more of the sites where the attacks took place.  Not only can you make a donation at the memorials, but your physical presence pays homage to the memory of those who are not physically present.

 

It can also be a point of healing or of realization, being so close in proximity to something you have known about or thought about for years. The memorial sites are a great place to offer up a prayer, for the victims and for healing in our country.

 

It’s worth the trip.

 

 

 

5. Read a Book

 

They say “A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

 

So a picture book cataloguing the events via photography maybe be all you need.  However, there are countless books that can also help with understanding, remembering, and appreciating the victims and heroes of the day.  If you have children, there are books geared towards educating them on the day as well.

 

 

John 15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.”

 

 

7.  Support Your Local Rescue Workers

 

Did you know that almost 1/6 of those who died in the World Trade Center attack were rescue workers?  You can show support for your local first responders through monetary donation (online or in person).  There are also charitable organizations dedicated to remembering fallen heroes, like the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation or the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.  Depending on the needs of your local firehouse, some in-kind donations can include: individually packaged food, gatorade, travel hygiene items, towels, socks, water bottles, baby wipes, etc.

 

Note: be careful donating to charities via social media or donation request phone calls.  The best way to support is to directly call your local heroes or pay them a visit.  This article specifically gives tips on selecting a safe charity.

 

 

  

7. Hang a Banner

 

Deck the halls and make your window a special place to hold and display memories.

 

Outdoors or inside, you can hang a memorial banner, sign, or quote that brings the day to mind.  It will help you (and others) remember the sacrifice that others made and have continued to make in the aftermath.  Much like the tree/houseplant idea, having a physically present memorial in your house is a surefire way to help you live remembrance everyday.

 

 

8. Acts of Service

 

You may not be able to repay the emergency workers, volunteers, victims, and soldiers for what they have suffered on behalf of the nation.  But you can still “pay forward” the kindness and sacrifice that was done to you.   As former President Obama said in 2011: “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”

 

Acts of service unite us to the victims and heroes, as our sacrifice is a way to suffer alongside them.  Serving others also acts as a way to recreate the spirit of unity that blanketed America after the attacks.  Most importantly, acts of service give us the chance to do “what they did” in our own way.  While we may not have had to make a sacrifice on 9-11, we can make a sacrifice now, alongside of them, and in their stead since they are no longer here with us to do so.

 

A soup kitchen, school, church organization, or animal shelter is a great place to start if you want to undertake a definitive commitment to acts of service.  But even just being nicer to strangers is a way to create unity, pay forward kindness, and imitate the great men and women who died in the 9-11 attacks.  The best part is, you can start today, right now.

 

 

 

9.  Pray for the Victims, Heroes, and Their Families

 

This is the easiest, cheapest, and (in my opinion) most helpful way you can remember 9-11.

 

Surviving families are not done grieving.

 

Rescue workers who lost most of their team have still not recovered from the events they faced.

 

Our country is still wounded by the horrendous blow, even if we are stronger than ever.  Pray for our country’s strength, for her protectors, for the comfort of those still in mourning, and for the souls of those who have left us! This takes only time from your day, and is well worth the effort.

 

 

10.  Join a 9-11 Memorial Group

 

There are many of these, all memorializing the day in a  different way.  Some focus on supporting and thanking surviving families.  Others are groups dedicated to continuing the work of sacrificial heroes, by giving back to the community, like the New York Says Thank You Foundation.  And some operate memorial runs in remembrance of the day.  Simply research memorial groups online and find the one that helps you pay tribute in a way that suits your heart and intentions.

 

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Remember 9-11, remember our promise on that day:  You are never forgotten.  No matter how you choose to hold onto those memories, do so.  And if your way of living those memories is different than the ones mentioned here, please share with us in the comment section.  We would all like to know ways to memorialize the day and pay honor to the heroes and victims!

 

God bless the USA!