Remembering the sacrifice and heroism of many

The world has changed, for each of us.

We were forced to come to grips with the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The aftermath of that day ripples still and has forever altered our national psyche.

Much like the Oklahoma City bombing left its mark on us in 1995 and we were faced with the unthinkable, before hoping that surely, events like this wouldn't happen again, still more has happened.

The murder of U.S. citizens at our embassy in Benghazi and the bombing at the Boston Marathon have been just the latest as the changes that have occurred here at home and continue to occur around the world, have shaped our lives.

At events across the country and here locally this past week and today, we remembered and we saluted -- not only those who gave so much then, but also those who have given throughout our history, and those who still give daily.

As we peeled back the past to that time still so fresh in our memory, we recalled where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt.

As the news reached us, in our homes and at work, we were bombarded by countless images of destruction and carnage that overwhelmed us.

We learned of neighbors, friends or loved ones who were touched by that tragic day. None of us escaped that touch -- it reached out no matter where we were, no matter how removed we thought we were from the world's events.

As the day unfolded, we struggled to understand the minds of these perpetrators and were left empty, unable to fathom how anyone can work to create such harm against the innocent.

The impact of that day was wide ranging, from the financial markets to every day life.

It did more than set us back, it touched us in ways that none of us could have imagined. Few events in recent years have forced themselves so quickly, so deeply upon us.

Yet what makes us who we are, the character of those generations who went before us to build a nation, surfaced.

We responded as a nation, first by mourning and then by trying to find some way we could show not only our sympathy, but our willingness to reach out to those hit hardest.

That manifested itself in numerous ways, from giving to charities seeking to help those in need, to making our own statements of support, displaying the flag, and rallying around our law enforcement and emergency and safety personnel.

As the days passed, we grew more determined to live our lives even as we were reminded forcefully just how tenuous that life can be.

We sought ways to protect ourselves even as we mobilized our forces to seek out terror and the evil that both creates that terror and harbors it.

We rallied around our country, its beliefs, its symbols, and our foundations of freedom.

We discovered a renewed sense of our pursuit of liberty. The pledge, the national anthem, our historic landmarks took on renewed significance.

As we marked the anniversary of that grim day and the ones that followed this past week, we mourned, we remembered.

Out of the ashes and the devastation of that day two years ago surfaced stories of miracles, of heroism, of sacrifice.

And those stories too will be remembered.

Much like other cataclysmic events have shaped our times, so too have those of Sept. 11. History recorded the events of that day and the years that have followed.

It will also record that Americans grieved and grieve still, but that we also grew more united and more committed to our ideals and beliefs.