Twenty-five years have passed since September 11, 2001, yet the memory of that morning remains remarkably vivid. 

I will never forget dropping off my little Madison at God’s Little Kingdom and turning on the Don Imus radio show to learn that an airplane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. 

I assumed that it was a random small plane that encountered navigation issues. As we all know, that assumption didn’t hold up.

For those who lived through it, the images are difficult to forget: smoke rising over New York, people running through the streets, families desperately searching for loved ones, and a nation suddenly confronted with a kind of vulnerability many had never imagined. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, leaving behind families, friends, colleagues and communities forever changed.

But September 11 is not remembered only for the destruction.

It is also remembered for what came afterward.

In the days and weeks following the attacks, Americans witnessed extraordinary acts of courage and compassion. First responders ran toward danger when others were running away. Neighbors helped neighbors. Strangers embraced one another. Communities gathered to mourn, to pray, to serve and simply to be present for people who were hurting.

The tragedy reminded us that resilience does not mean forgetting.

Resilience means remembering — and continuing.

Moving forward after September 11 did not mean returning to the world exactly as it had been before. The nation changed. Our sense of security changed. Every time take an airplane flight and make the pilgrimage through the TSA lines, I am reminded of 9/11. 

Moving forward from 9/11 meant learning how to carry the loss while continuing to live.

That may be one of the most important lessons September 11 left us.

Life will inevitably bring moments that knock us off balance. My dear pastor, Jeff Fugitt, aptly is doing a sermon series, Making Lemons out of Lemonade. His series is so fitting of our 25th anniversary remembrance of 9/11. Sometimes the loss we experience is of a national nature and historic. Other times it is deeply personal and known only to a few. We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose what we do afterward.

As Jeff reminded us last Sunday:

We can rebuild.

We can reach out.

We can refuse to let tragedy have the final word.

This year was a classic example of this. For me, I started the day at a community event in Monett, in which we started with a moment of silence in remembrance of September 11. It was a wonderful event showcasing our love of community. 

That evening I attended the Wildcats-Seneca football game, which also featured a moment of silence for remembrance of that historic day. What followed were two and a half hours of excitement as two communities cheered on their respective teams in one of the most exciting games I have ever witnessed. 

In summary, the night featured remembrance, challenge, setbacks, excitement and joy. Things that didn’t seem possible of ever happening again on the evening of September 11, 2001. 

The years since 9/11 have brought wars, political divisions, economic uncertainty, a pandemic and countless personal hardships. Yet, through all of it, people have continued to marry, raise children, build businesses, serve their communities, create art, teach, volunteer and dream about tomorrow.

That is resilience.

On each anniversary of September 11, we should certainly remember those who died. We should remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency workers and ordinary citizens who demonstrated extraordinary courage. We should remember the families who were left behind and the countless people whose lives were permanently altered.

But perhaps we should also remember something else: We are capable of getting back up.

Not unchanged. Not without scars. Not without moments of sadness or fear.

But together, we can move forward.

The story of September 11 is a story of profound loss. Yet it is also a story about our ability to respond to darkness with courage, compassion and hope.

We honor those we lost.

We remember.

And then, together, we take the next step forward.

Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, newspaper columnist, motivational speaker, and mayor of America’s Real Hometown. He can be reached at [email protected].