September 11, 2001 was a traumatizing day in American history. Over 3,000 people died in a terrorist attack. Most adults, many teens and children can still remember where they were, and what they were doing when they learned about these attacks. It shook the Nation. No one believed this could happen. We realized for the first time since December 7, 1941, how vulnerable the United States was.
Twenty-one years later, many relive 9/11 in our minds, our hearts, and souls as the anniversary comes around. Many Americans still battle the lingering effects of this attack.
You did not need to be in New York City to suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Americans watched the events unfold on live television and saw the plane hit the second tower. We were glued to the looping coverage of the events that day. As the anniversary comes near, these intrusive memories reoccur for many, we relive it like it is happening all over again. We are still coping with the effects of this attack.
We grieve as a Nation for those that lost their lives because we will never forget. We grieve for a way of life that has forever changed; air travel will never be the same, Passports to go to Canada and Mexico, The Real ID, security at entertainment/sporting venues and the list goes on.
Let us bond together and support each other in our daily struggles and our personal grief. We are the greatest
Nation. Let us show the children who have grown up Post 9/11 what America is all about.
Kristi Nance-Hmurovich LCSW, ACHP-SW, CCFP is the Counseling Coordinator for Hospice of the Calumet Area. The opinions are the writer's.