I was only 3 years old when the towers fell. I don't remember a New York City skyline before their absence. I have vague memories of that day. I remember my mother crying, uncontrollable tears and an undeniable fear. I didn't know New York City existed, let alone two skyscrapers. I didn't know. I didn't understand. I didn't, but I do now.

"The September 11 attack is seared into our soul." — President Donald J. Trump

I have heard the phone calls. I have seen the videos. I have seen the pain. I have felt the fear. I watched Americans jump from fire to their deaths. I've listened to last calls, the gut-wrenching, stillness that follows. I have watched the newsreels as towers collapse and a cloud of smoke and debris sends an already broken city into chaos.

As an American, my heart grieves for those who were lost, those who were left, and those who were forced to live through the terror. I've heard of the heroism too. The passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 who so bravely overtook their captors, and spared many more lives. The selfless acts of first responders giving their skill, their efforts, their bravery so selflessly with many unable to return out of the blazes, ash, and soot. The calmness and friendly voices of support of phone operators dispatching emergency personnel and placing aside their own grief and fear to relay countless lines of information to first responders. Sanitation workers, shop keepers, businessmen and women, thousands of Americans trying desperately to save each other.

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting of September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children." — President George W. Bush

It is a seemingly an unforgettable day, yet I see the American youths today who do not know what 9/11 truly means. They have never seen the footage and they don't understand the severity. There are millions of Americans alive today who were not alive when the towers fell.

Yes, it's true I am far too young to remember the events of 9/11, but I will never forget these malicious, cowardly acts of terrorists who hate America for her values and her freedom. I will choose to remember the heroes, I will remember the fallen, and I will never forget these heinous acts and the crippling loss. I can't pretend to know what this loss is like. I can only see the aftermath. I was not personally affected on that day, but I am affected today and every day by the sadness, grief, and hollowness of this day. I cannot pretend to know your pain, but I can continue to remind others of why this day is significant.

I can teach future generations of the loss and the heroism and the sacrifice this day stands for. I can choose to never let these Americans' lives be forgotten.