Does time really heal all wounds?

As history would have it, this week is a big one. It is a week where we all remember where we were, and how we felt when we heard (or saw) the news that day.

On a beautiful Tuesday morning in September, with a crisp hint of fall in the air, the world once again was reminded of those who seek to destroy that which is good – life itself.

There is no need to explore the aftermath of what happened. We all know the story.

There is no need to remind ourselves of the education we received when we were forced to pay attention to an alien culture most US citizens never knew existed.

There is no need to remind ourselves that we, the greatest and grandest country ever, let its people believe that the world outside our borders would never creep inside our hallowed walls.

There is also no need to remember that it had been 60 years since the last crack in our fortress, because history makes it seem so far away. The pain of those first memories had faded to simple stories of folklore and legends romanticized by Hollywood’s elite. (i.e. December 7th 1941 – Pearl Harbor)

There is no need to remember, because “time heals all wounds”.

Does it?

Dare I say, only if we let it.

I was fortunate on September 11th to have experienced Divine intervention via a simple schedule change. I was booked to be in lower Manhattan that morning for an 8am meeting in a conference room overlooking the World Trade Center only a few blocks away from ground zero. A week or two before, we were able to meet and resolve our goals, so there was no need to be there that fateful day.

For another twist of fate, I was rescheduled to be in the air again that morning on a flight from Atlanta to Denver when I received a call the night before from a different client with an urgent matter that required me to juggle once again, and to miss my flight. So, like most of us, I was on the ground and in my car when I heard the news.

At first, it was hard to imagine.

Listening to the radio broadcast, it seemed like the most unlikely of scenarios, yet the thought of an act so evil was still inconceivable in our minds. The first reactions were of shock and disbelief, followed by a frenzy of “what and how” conversations, then…it happened again.

This time, there was no doubt.

Evil, the one most people failed to recognize, was back from its long and sleepy hibernation, and our walls were cracked once again.

____ ____ ____

It had been 6 decades since we felt that type of vulnerable pain. Yet, as in those years so long ago, our rage was swift and our strength was mighty. It took time, as it always does, but we did our job. We valued life and liberty along the way, made a few mistakes, but overall accomplished the goal and rebuilt our walls once again.

On September 11th, over 3,000 helpless civilians lost their lives, and the world lost its innocence. Since then, over 5,000 US and Allied soldiers, both men and women, have given their lives in combat and related missions to insure evil is contained and the walls stay strong.

As we always do, our people stood up and came together, even as time played tricks and flew by us faster than we originally planned.

Were lessons learned? Plenty.

Were lives lost? More than necessary.

Were lives saved? We will never be sure, but deep inside we know the answer is a resounding yes!

____ ____ ____

Time is a funny thing. It goes fast when you want it to slow down, and it slowly creeps along when you need it to speed up.

Time is both a weapon and a healer; each driven by our own acceptance of fate.

Recently, I was watching an episode of the British TV show, Dr. Who.

I found it fascinating that the writers created a conversation between the Doctor and the legendary English folk hero Robin Hood. They spoke to each other in a fictional convergence of time, and came to an interesting discovery.

They concluded that it is difficult for any person (or event) to face the fact that their humanity will be forgotten. Some will be lost to eroding memories, while others will find their legacy has morphed into a legend.

Over time they concluded, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t help it; memories will be lost.

In this exchange, even though they will each gain legendary status, the two were sad to acknowledge their stories will fade away. They knew that time will eventually forget the “heart” they fought so hard to maintain, the passion they felt to serve, and the pains they took to honor others.

The episode was artfully crafted in a way where the viewer is forced to ask themselves; what do we want others to remember about us, even when we don’t see the end coming?

As this September 11th approaches, let’s think about it:

What are we doing to help the memories linger so that we might avoid creating a “legend” too fast?What did we “learn” so we can prevent time from repeating itself once again?

What are we “remembering” and are we prepared for when the evil returns once again?

What are we becoming in the days gone by?

As we take time this week to remember the lives lost, we must also remember the lessons learned.

We must be prepared because we know the evil is still lurking outside our walls (inside as well).

We must cherish the memories of those who we lost and pass them along, not as legends but as stories of people with their own hopes and dreams.

We must decide for ourselves what our own legacy should be. If we leave it to others, we are subject to become lost or worse, we allow them to create their story for our future.

Personally, I have committed to live a life honoring those I serve, which allows me to create a future and a memory I can control.

As we learned on September 11th, you might never know when, but you should know that you will never be forgotten.

-DB