Appreciate What You Have (Before it Becomes What You Had)

9/11/2019

“What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.”
-David Levithan

Read this article and respond to the following prompt.

These teenagers are about your age. Try to put yourself in their shoes. How might you feel? Do their stories make you appreciate what you have? Do they change your perception of 9/11?

54 Comments

Paul

9/11/2019 10:40:29 am

I would be sad but be honored to say my said is a hero of 9/11. There stories make me appreciate that I have everyone in my family still alive. I knew that a lot of people died during 9/11 and some people still hurt from that.

Caleb

9/11/2019 10:48:20 am

It is something you never forget. It is weird to have a huge part of your life missing or taken from you.

Dakota

9/11/2019 10:50:23 am

I would definitely be honored if my father would’ve risked his life for others.

Dylan

9/11/2019 10:50:31 am

I agree I would be honored as well.

Wylie

9/11/2019 10:44:06 am

It would be a pretty crazy and tragic thing to experience that would and does effect people’s everyday lives. I am sure that these kids that lost loved ones looks up to them as hero’s.

Caleb

9/11/2019 10:49:05 am

I definitely agree they are hero’s in the survivors eyes. It is hard to explain the feeling.

Paul

9/11/2019 10:50:23 am

It would be crazy to experience that day or the outcome of it.

Jacob

9/11/2019 10:52:51 am

It’s hard to say how much it would affect some people.

Taelyn

9/11/2019 10:44:21 am

I’d be pretty upset but I would also feel almost honored knowing my parent was a hero (considering they were law enforcement). I honestly do appreciate what I have a little more knowing these tradgedies actually happed to people and took their parents away. These stories kind of change my perception I have and always will feel bad but these stories almost make you feel worse.

Riley

9/11/2019 10:49:46 am

I agree that sometimes they tend to drag you down .

Loon

9/11/2019 10:50:17 am

How did they change your perception?

Cody

9/11/2019 10:52:25 am

I would see them as a hero too.

Destiny

9/11/2019 10:53:10 am

I agree with how the perception effects me too.

Tyrell Wortley

9/11/2019 10:55:08 am

It sometimes take a tragic event, to help people more than they may think.

Tamryn

9/11/2019 10:44:48 am

If my father died during 9/11, I would be heartbroken, but honored to know he died risking his life for others. Yes, these stories changed my perspective. I looked at 9/11 as a horrible event that happened and mourned for the people who lost their lives, but I never thought about all the people who lost their loved ones.

Dakota

9/11/2019 10:48:27 am

I feel the same way. It would’ve been a very sad moment in my life.

Jacob

9/11/2019 10:51:29 am

I also agree it would be rough for those people.

Cole

9/11/2019 10:52:06 am

I too have never thought about the families that they left behind

Kelton

9/11/2019 10:52:12 am

I saw it as the same way, I never thought about the aftermath it had on others.

Wylie

9/11/2019 10:52:17 am

I totally agree.

Taelyn

9/11/2019 10:53:15 am

I have also never though about the way the people who lost their family felt until this article, that’s one of the things that changed my perspective about this day.

Kaleb

9/11/2019 10:44:48 am

It’s very sad that they had to grow up without there fathers. The all see happy, and acting proud of what there family did to try and save others. They act like it was supposed to happen

Tamryn

9/11/2019 10:49:26 am

I disagree that they think it was supposed to have happened. They probably ask why it happened to their family still, but have realized there isn’t much they can do. Except celebrate their fathers lives.

Cole

9/11/2019 10:45:03 am

It is hard to even begin to imagine how different life would be. I feel like I am lucky to have what I have. It changes my perspective because I have never really thought about the families that those people left.

Kelton

9/11/2019 10:52:56 am

I feel lucky to have what I have to and this day makes me appreciate everything.

Wylie

9/11/2019 10:53:03 am

I agree I couldn’t even imagine haven’t to go through that.

Sydnee

9/11/2019 10:45:16 am

I would feel very appreciative of my family. Makes me sad that all the kids never met the people they’ve lost.

Riley

9/11/2019 10:45:22 am

I have always known the gravity of what happened on 9/11 but not really looked into the people it affected. It didn’t just hurt the victims on the planes and in the towers, it also hurt their families and those around them. The people who survive will never be the same and I can’t imagine the toll it must take on them.

Tamryn

9/11/2019 10:51:29 am

It is very hard to move on and continue their lives after such a terrible thing happened. I agree that they will never be the same.

Owen

9/11/2019 10:51:52 am

I have always looked at it the same way, but now I finally looked at how it affected the people.

Destiny

9/11/2019 10:54:30 am

I agree, the people who witness that was changed forever

Troy

9/11/2019 10:45:35 am

I think it would be hard to live without a father but would be proud that he gave his life to save others. Their story’s definitely make me appreciate what I have today. I wouldn’t say this changed my perception as I have always respected this day. It just goes to show that 18 years later it is still affecting families and people struggle with the loss everyday

Loon

9/11/2019 10:52:56 am

Do you think 9/11 will always affect people?

Kelton

9/11/2019 10:45:50 am

After many years of dealing with the loss of my father, rather it being a sad and miserable day to remember I would remember the day my dad was a hero and celebrate his life and his bravery rather than his loss. I knew a lot of people were effected from 9/11 but, knowing these kids story just made me honor this day more.

Caleb

9/11/2019 10:46:52 am

I would feel sad or down if I knew my parent was never coming home. But I also understand the feeling of not having my dad around. It’s a weird feeling. And it does make me appreciate the fact that I still have my family around. And we cannot compare pain we all see and feel differently so it’s hard to imagine what that could possibly be like.

Paul

9/11/2019 10:48:49 am

It is hard to image the pain the feel.

Cody

9/11/2019 10:55:02 am

I couldn’t even think about how sad I would be if this happen to one of my family members

Destiny

9/11/2019 10:46:59 am

Like everyone else I would be sad. It makes me appreciate the loved ones both gone and still around. I was aware of how horrible it was for everyone that was there, and how tough it is every year it comes around.

Dakota

9/11/2019 10:47:05 am

I would be devistated that a loved one died. A parent you might never get to meet, or come home to. Yes, hearing their stories make me want to appreciate what I have and not take it for granted, because you could lose it all in a few seconds. No 9/11 has always been a pretty sad part in my memory because my dad was almost killed in the attack. He was in the North Tower on the 47th floor.

Riley

9/11/2019 10:48:55 am

That’s crazy. Does it affect him anymore mentally or has he kind of just pushed passed it?

Owen

9/11/2019 10:53:35 am

I never knew that about you.

Dylan

9/11/2019 10:49:55 am

I didn’t know that your father was there.

cole

9/11/2019 10:53:44 am

I’m glad that your dad was alright.

Brooke

9/11/2019 10:47:18 am

I would be sad that my father wouldn’t be there for everything but happy that I had a father that was brave and willing to lose his life for others. There stores do make me appreciate that I had a father when I was growing up. It makes me understand that a lot of people are still affected today from 9/11.

Dylan

9/11/2019 10:47:30 am

I don’t think I would be sad, but honored to have the last name of a brave man or woman that experienced that tragedy. These stories do make me appreciate that I do have a family. I have always thought 9/11 was a terrible tragedy that effected the life’s of many people.

Loon

9/11/2019 10:49:00 am

I imagine it to be immensely challenging to live with the loss of a parent. Stories like this are a reminder that I should be more appreciative of what I have. These stories don’t really change my perception of 9/11.

Jacob

9/11/2019 10:49:00 am

If I was to lose my father in this situation I would be sad but proud of my father at the same time. These kids stories truly make me honor this day even more. It is hard to imagine how hard it might be for them.

Owen

9/11/2019 10:49:11 am

I would probably feel the exact same way as most of them and maybe do the same as the basketball player did just to have that in the back of my mind those he did. I do appreciate the things that I have. Yeah I have learned things and can feel what they have gone through by what I have read.

Brayden

9/11/2019 10:50:31 am

Reading this gave me a deeper understanding of the pain that is still felt today.

Tyrell Wortley

9/11/2019 10:50:52 am

If I was one of these kids (and probably was almost one), to have never known my father or my grandfather, I can’t even describe how I would feel. The story of these teens make me appreciate knowing who my father and grandpa are. I add my grandpa because he and my dad were fire fighters for years.

To me I’ve always had the same perspective of 9/11, their stories only make that perspective have a greater depth to it.

Cody

9/11/2019 10:50:59 am

If i was in their shoes life would be a lot harder because my family does everything for me and is always there. My dad is my best friend so I don’t know what I would do without him. I appreciate everything I have because these kids got a lot taken from them. I’ve always thought about 9/11 and it’s sad and hard for people.

Taelyn

9/11/2019 10:55:02 am

The events of 9/11 also make me appreciate what I have more.

Charlie

9/11/2019 10:55:42 am

I’d feel like I was never complete, as if a piece was taken away and could never get back. I appreciate everything that I have now and forever more. I still believe that 9/11 was one of our worst tragedies of the 21st century but, it brought an entire nation together and stronger than ever.

Cheyenne Ward

9/11/2019 10:58:28 am

If I were in their shoes I would be extremely sad, I would look at it and be like my father was doing a good thing but it breaks my heart to know that a lot of people are gone. The stories do make me appreciate what I have because even though my parent are divorced I still have both of them. It doesn’t really change my mindset because it was a terrifying thing that caused a lot of pain in peoples lives.

Appreciate What You Have (Before it Becomes What You Had)

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