Day 1125 Unity

Beautiful sunsets are arriving earlier and earlier—7:02 PM tonight—and before long, I’ll be driving home in the dark. While we still have the chance to sit outside and soak in these spectacular skies, there’s truly no place like the beach to catch the best views.

Yesterday’s sunset marked the close of another 9/11 anniversary—24 years now. In some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago, and yet, it also feels like just yesterday.

I still remember exactly where I was that morning: sitting on a little couch in my kitchen, watching the morning news on the TV perched above the fridge. It’s the same spot I sit in now—but the world feels entirely different.

Missy was with me that terrible morning. My daughter was off at school, and both of my boys were home. Missy and I were chatting, the volume too low on the television to make out what was happening. My son walked into the room, turned up the sound, and said something big was going on.

We sat, eyes glued to the screen, watching the first skyscraper burn. We were confused—trying to make sense of how something like that could happen. And then, in real-time, we saw the second plane crash into the second tower. We were stunned. Disbelief hung heavy in the air.

That day, America didn’t move. We stayed fixed to our screens, watching in horror as the tragedy unfolded.

There are images from that morning forever etched into my mind—as I’m sure they are for anyone who witnessed it. In the days that followed, our country stood united. We were strong. We were resilient. We came together against a clear enemy.

Sadly, it feels like we've drifted far from that unity. Today, we’re more divided than ever—politically, socially, emotionally. We’ve forgotten that there are always bigger threats than each other. We’ve lost our ability to disagree respectfully, to hear one another out, and to appreciate the gift of free expression.

Now, more than ever, it feels like we only want to hear voices that echo our own. That’s not the America we’re meant to be.

So on this anniversary, I hope those of us old enough to remember 9/11 take a moment to reflect—not just on the tragedy and the lives lost, but on the unity we once shared. Let’s choose to honor their memory by moving forward together—as Americans first. United. Strong. Compassionate.

And let’s never again let the sun go down without appreciating all that we have. Why not throw it a bit of respect for our great country and our fellow Americans!