Twenty-five years ago today, the world went about its usual routines.
Someone skipped a donut on their way to work, telling themselves they would start eating healthier.
Travellers packed their bags, making sure they had everything they needed for the next day’s flight. Parents with babies and small children were organizing ways to keep their young ones entertained on those flights.
Some may have been daydreaming about a vacation they hoped to take the following year as they made their way to work or school.
Parents packed lunches for their kids, organized drop-off, and talked about plans for the week. Office workers, executives, entry-level staff, blue-collar workers, firefighters, and police all headed out for another day at work.
And a few may have been caught up in worries that seemed important at the time.
They had no idea that for some of them, tomorrow night would never come.
Meanwhile, more than a thousand miles away, in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, people were living their ordinary lives too.
They had no idea their lives were about to cross paths with thousands of strangers from around the world.
The next day, they woke up and went about their day as usual.
They had no idea that September 11 would change everything.
The world held its breath as people watched the tragedy unfold in horror.
Borders suddenly didn’t matter as thousands of people were stranded far from home, scared, confused, and unsure what would happen next.
And the people of Gander made a choice.
They didn’t ask where anyone was from.
They didn’t ask about anyone’s religion, language, or political views.
They only saw thousands of their fellow men and women who needed help.
They opened their homes and shared their food.
They opened their schools, churches, and community spaces.
They offered beds, showers, clothing, rides, friendship, and a shoulder to lean on.
They didn’t see ‘us’ and ‘them.’
They saw human beings.
Twenty-five years later, I still think about this because it’s a lesson worth remembering; not just on September 11, but every day.
It’s easy to focus on what divides us, like where we come from, what we believe, what language we speak, or which side of an argument we’re on.
But in the end, when tragedy strikes, and we see the devastation and heartbreak, those differences fall away. We see each other for what we have always been; human beings.
Everyone who woke up that morning had a life, a family, a future, and plans for tomorrow.
For those who never made it home again, their legacy and heartbreak remain with those they left behind.
Every person sent to Gander, Newfoundland, was someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, child, friend, or neighbour.
They were people, just like us.
Twenty-five years later, let’s remember not only those we lost on September 11, 2001, but also the people who showed the world what compassion can look like.
Let’s remember the strangers and communities who opened their doors.
And let’s remember the simple, powerful choice to help someone just because they needed it.
Let’s never forget the lives that were lost.
Let’s never forget the kindness that followed.
And let’s never forget that beneath all our differences, we are human beings first.
In one of the darkest moments in history, the people of Gander chose to be a light.
A Book I Recommend
A dear friend of mine, Micki Pagano, wrote a beautiful book inspired by the tragic events on September 11, 2001.
The Road to Beyond is a story about loss, hope, friendship, courage, and the possibility that our connections to one another continue beyond what we can see.
I was honoured to write an endorsement for Micki’s book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a thoughtful, hopeful story about love, loss, and finding meaning after tragedy.
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