“So today, I hope you’ll take an extra moment to mourn, to reflect, and most of all, to remember,” Obama continued. “It’s up to all of us to make sure that we’re honoring all those memories that come rushing back by living lives that reflect not just the trauma of that day, but the best that was on display, too: our kindness and compassion, our courage and resilience.”
She concluded, “They’re the values that lifted us up twenty years ago. And I hope they can guide us all, not just on an anniversary like this, but every single day.”
Her husband also offered a special tribute on Instagram, writing in part, “For Michelle and me, the enduring image of that day is not simply falling towers or smoldering wreckage. It’s the firefighters running up the stairs as others were running down. The passengers deciding to storm a cockpit, knowing it could be their final act. The volunteers showing up at recruiters’ offices across the country in the days that followed, willing to put their lives on the line.”
