There are moments in our lives that define us, that shape who we are and change our very reason for living. Then sometimes there are moments that change a community, a nation and even a world.
I remember exactly where I was when my world and the rest of creation's changed. I was in college in a small eastern Arizona town. Since that day 11 years ago nothing has been the same. Brothers and friends have gone to war and some didn't come back, we can't just hop on a plane like we used to and our world has become so small and sometimes frightening. We're now fluent in Middle Eastern names and places in a way that we could never have imagined. That heartbreaking Tuesday morning has redefined our existence.
Just like September 11, 2001 has footnoted our lives, I believe that 71 years ago there was the exact same shaping moment for a generation that came long before me and probably even you. That December morning when planes flew into Pearl Harbor, the world became a different place.
One of the things that I remember most vividly after the towers fell was the way that we reached out to each other. Class and race and status didn't matter anymore because we were all hurting and we were all afraid. We came together in a way that was unimaginable. I imagine it was the same when Pearl Harbor was attacked. America must have rallied and united behind a common goal.
I hope that we never forget the tragic moments that have shaped our existence, whether it's because we had a CNN- eye's view or just a chapter in a textbook.
Love, Kristen
My dad, whose own father had been a bomber in WWII, cried like a baby when visiting Pearl Harbor for the first time. It's so strange the things that leave marks on our souls.
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