So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

2001 seems like a lifetime ago for someone like me who was just about to turn five years old. The national average cost of one gallon of gas was $1.42, compared to $2.20 today. 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' 'Monster's Inc.', and 'Shrek' opened in theaters nationwide. Destiny's Child released their smash hit, 'Survivor," and the federal debt was only at $5, 807 billion, compared to the $19 trillion it is today. So much can change in just 15 years.

However, for the millions of Americans who were affected in some way by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and still grieve over that tragedy, nothing has changed. Spouses of the victims whose lives were taken so suddenly on September 11th are still going to bed each night hoping and praying to wake up next to their loved one they lost. Police, fire, and emergency departments are still going about serving and protecting their communities in the absence of their fallen comrades who risked their life on 9/11. And, the rest of America will forever be in a state of grief, fear, confusion, mourning, and loss as a result of the events that day.

September 11th is a constant reminder of just how precious life is. Just one day before, Monday, September 10, 2001, life was normal. The families of all those lost the next day carried out their day as they normally would, not knowing the horror that would unfold the next morning. America was unprepared for and unsuspecting of the loss and despair that would happen the next day.

No one can understand what is like to be put in the shoes of a survivor of those terrorist attacks, or a family member or friend of a loved one whose life was taken from them on September 11th, 2001. No one can understand why your and I's life was spared on that day, when 2,996 lives weren't spared.No one knows exactly why tragedies like this happen. Some say tragedies occur in order to bring out the best in humanity. Others say tragedies occur as a reminder for the survivors to count each day as a blessing. And, others say tragedies like this occur because without hate we cannot know peace.

Whatever the reason may be, all we can do is make a conscious effort each and every day to treat our lives like the precious gift they are. Make a conscious effort to remind our loved ones how much we love them each and every chance we get, because we never know if we will get another chance. Make a conscious effort to be a source of life and love in this world that so desperately needs all the love, happiness, and positivity it can get.

We, as a country, will never be the same as we were from our founding day in 1776, to September 10, 2001. We will forever have two holes in the ground where the Twin Towers once stood. We will forever remember exactly where we were when we heard the news on September 11, 2001. And, most importantly, we as a country will forever be strengthened by the love, legacy, and memories that the victims of September 11th left behind. We will never forget.