Every year I celebrate and honor the lives of all those beautiful souls we lost on September 11.
“Oh, your birthday is September 11?”
“Wow, I’m sure no one forgets your birthday for sure!”
“Well, that’s a bummer. You can’t even celebrate the right way.”
These are just some of the things that people often say when they find out my birthday is on 9/11.
September 11, 2001 marked the lives of millions of people after we lost 2,996 souls. It is one of the most heartbreaking events in history.
On that fateful day, I was excited to turn 11. I was getting ready for school and asking my mom, “Mamá, que paso? Donde estan esas torres?” “Mom, what happened? Where are those towers at?” Being raised in Ciudad Juarez, I knew about New York City but hadn’t heard of the Twin Towers before. I was so confused and lost as to why this would happen and how it would affect us.
Living in the border city made me conceptualize the pain and impact of history differently than others. As an 11-year-old girl, I was afraid when I would hear the terms “war,” “bombs,” and “threats.” However, as a young girl I was still happy to be born that day, and each year I would want to celebrate my birthday.
When I moved to El Paso to begin high school, my birthday began to turn gray. People made odd comments when they found out about my birthday, making it hard to look forward to my birthday. Why celebrate a year more of life when so many families are hurting from another year of not having their loved ones? After a while, I was able to find ways to manage guilt and find positivity. I found ways to honor and respect the day and still celebrate. It is a beautiful gift to be alive!
I commemorate those who were lost by doing acts of kindness and paying it forward to celebrate. Doing these acts alleviates my soul. It allows me to feel comfortable and know that celebrating is okay.
Twenty-one years have gone by, but I think it is proper to allow people who are born on that day to celebrate life. Could there be a more perfect example that tomorrow is not guaranteed? Life is precious every day, and we must enjoy it.
Join me in celebrating my birthday with me. In celebrating life itself. These are the things I plan and have done in the past.
Plan Acts of Kindness
You could put the trash can out for your neighbor, pay for someone’s coffee, or say good morning to the custodians at work.
Pay It Forward
Donate food, items, or anything else to an organization, first responders, or people in need.
On September 11
Create a gratitude list. Write down what you are thankful for. Why do you love life? And how you will embrace life today and tomorrow?
One Week or All Month
If you like to pray, you are welcome to dedicate a daily prayer to the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. If you are not into prayers, you can simply save one positive quote or quote about life in remembrance of everyone.
These actions heal your soul in so many ways. The best part about this is that you don’t have to do it just for 9/11. But you can do it for any occasion or any remembrance that means most to you.
September 11 is a beautiful day! It is a day in which we are reminded humanity has no borders and kindness is a must. We must come together and remain positive across this remembrance day.
Originally published September 2022.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of El Paso Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
