Can you picture it clearly?

I can…I had just left the house to take Matthew to school.  As I reached the end of our street, I received a call from my husband notifying me that the first tower had been hit.  I paused in shock for what felt like forever; then at the prompting of my first grader, continued to school.  It wasn’t until Brandon and I returned home, glued to the TV, that I began to wrap my head around the magnitude of what just occurred. 

Did you know how much life would change after that terrible day?

I certainly didn’t.  

Looking back, pre-9/11 America felt like a simpler place.

The events of that single day unleashed a wave of national grief and a transformation in how we conceived ourselves and our place in the world.

Can we take a minute to reflect on who and what we lost?

The occupants of the twin towers and Pentagon.

The passengers of the hijacked planes.

The heroic first responders who ran into burning buildings.

The families and communities who lost loved ones.

The service members and civilians who lost their lives and health in the wars that followed.

Did you lose someone important to you? Would you share their name and story with me so we can remember them together?

Can we learn from those losses?

I hope so.

I remember the shock and anxiety after the towers fell.

I also remember how united we were as a people in those early days.

In our pain, our grief, our support for one another, and our need to make sense of what happened.

I think kindness and growth often coexist with grief and pain.

Loss pushes us to cherish those we love and what we have in this moment.

What do you cherish today?

What are you reflecting on at the moment?

Be well,

Cherie D. Putman, CPA, CFP ®
3528 Torrance Blvd, Suite 219,Torrance, Ca.  90503
Phone: (310) 792-9999 ext 223