Today began like any other day for me and so many others, as in an early morning fog craving a cup of coffee I boarded the metro praying for a seat. My prayers were answered and I put on my headset and tucked into my magazine. Then I could faintly hear an announcement…something about the Pentagon, um sure it's nothing…then it hit me what day was it? Prior to that moment the date was something I would have asked the moment I had to sign something, and from the reaction of those around me I wasn't alone. It is not as if we forgot, we can never forget, but in a way it has become more of a triggered memory so many just want to put aside and not think of too often. But for others every day is a reminder of what happened on that dark day.
However today is not any other day, today marks the 7th anniversary of the unforgettable tragedy of September 11, 2001. September 11 took the lives of 2,974 
people, not including the 19 hijackers, and 24 people remain on the list of those missing. Of those who lost their lives, 8 where children: 5 on American 77 ranging in age from 3 to 11, 3 on United 175 ages 2, 3, and 4. In the towers, the youngest victim was 17 years old.
It is not just the death of 9 children we must remember, but also the lives of more than 3,051 children who lost parents on 9-11. Seven years on wounds are healing, but the memories and grief of a lost parent are continuously felt. Many children of those lost in 9-11 may not remember or never knew their parent, but the loss they feel remains deeply etched into their everyday lives.
The fateful events of September 11, 2001 touched and united people the world over, but it is the children who's memories remain, other generations remember where they were on the day; Troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, JFK was shot, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the Challenger exploded…and now a generation will never forget where they where the day the towers fell.
Related Articles and Sites:
Children of 9/11 have grown up with grief
Bereaved Children of 9/11 Victims Suffered High Rates of Psychiatric Illness
Survey: Children of 9/11 Still Grieving
9/11 Children's Workbook: Offensive or Respectful?
9/11 Children – ABC special on the 5th anniversary on those who lost a father
Tuesday's Children – How The Children Of 9/11 Victims Deal With Their Loss
