9-11 Never Forget

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It’s the 22nd anniversary of the worst day of my life that I will never forget.

Unfortunately, my memories of that horrible day will never be forgotten. The pain and suffering of watching many of my dear friends and business associates get killed right in front of my eyes will always be with me, just as their love and friendship will always be in my heart. I am truly blessed to still be healthy and alive today; and still have the opportunity to be here for my daughters and my dear friends.

I lost a lot that day, but one thing that has helped me accept what happened 22 years ago is an old saying my father taught me; “Never give up on yourself; because when you do, you LOSE”.

Thankfully on September 11, 2001, I did not give up and was able to break through that locked emergency staircase door on the 64th floor of the South Tower. I not only helped myself, but I was able to help hundreds of people survive, by getting safely down the 64 flights of stairs, and out of the building seconds before it came crashing down.

One of the fortunate outcomes of that day is that over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the men and woman that I was able to help that terrible morning and built new friendships with each of them. It is such a pleasure to see them with their families and be able to share all those special moments with their children and now grandchildren, knowing that we are all truly blessed, to be a live 22 years later, and have the opportunity to watch our children and grandchildren grow up.

It is also a pleasure to see many of the children who lost their parents on 9/11 building incredible lives and careers for themselves despite the hardships they have faced and knowing it is because they want to be successful “because that is what my Dad and Mom would want me to be.”

In addition it is very special to me that many people who experienced 9/11, have children, including my own daughters, who do a lot of volunteer work and fund raising for 9/11 related organizations, such as the Tunnel to Towers (T2T) Foundation. ??

??????????My daughter ran in the NYC marathon for the T2T foundation this year.

One of the more meaningful things about life I learned from this horrific day is that we cannot control everything that happens in our lives. The only thing we can control is the way that we react. The important thing is to always do the best you can – because even the small acts of kindness, a friendly smile, and the little things such as holding a door open for a colleague when walking into your office, can help others and will ultimately allow us to understand that we did the best we could.

Another meaningful outcome from 9/11 that should never be forgotten is that we all came together as one. There was no discrimination based on religion, color, sex, or ethnicity. We all did everything we could to help each other safely get out of the building seconds before it came crashing down. And many, including myself, still do everything we can to help the families and the children of those that did not survive that day. We have come together for one another, and always will.

Unfortunately, 22 years later, it seems like many people have forgotten how we all came together as one to help and support those affected by this terrorist attack that day, and the weeks, months, and years later. The only way to succeed and get through a disaster is to stay strong and work together as one team. We as individuals are not experts in everything, but together as one, we can and will come up with a solution to succeed.

Today, and every day, I hope and pray that no one will have to go through the experience that I and many others did on September 11, 2001

Like I do each anniversary –“I want to remind everyone to take a moment and reach out to their Loved Ones, Friends and Business Associates and thank them for being a part of your life. It is important to remember how lucky and blessed we all are to be alive, and have these individuals in our lives. This is important because we never know what tomorrow will bring”

I will leave off by saying something that I always say to my children -- “When I tell you I love you, it is not to just make you happy, it is to let you know that I love you in every way, and my love and heart will always be with you, even when I am no longer physically with you.”

Thank you all for being an important part of my life.

Chris-- RUGB