Sept. 11, 2002 deeply affected the lives of most Americans. As students at Tufts University, we too felt the wave of pain, fear, frustration and anger that pervaded the country. As freshmen away from home for the first time, we longed for the familiar. As sophomores who had finally adjusted, we did not know whether to comfort or be comforted. As juniors abroad we wished we could be closer to home, and as seniors pulled back into campus life, the last year was certainly not what we had anticipated it to be. After the initial shock, we responded as best we knew how.
As students on this campus, we came together in vigils, discussions and various events. We found peace in solitude, spent more time with family, sought to strengthen our ties with friends, started a new relationship or rethought an old one.
Realizing how short and precious life really is, we decided to take the opportunity to go abroad, or chose to spend more time in the United States and in our homes. We said, "I love you," "I'm sorry," and "thank you" as we should have previously done, but never did.
Many of us made life-altering decisions after the impact of that day. But with spirits unshaken, we used the attacks to find something good - to make a change for the better. And although it can be said that those with the most widespread impact on others were politicians and world leaders, we ourselves realized the potential impact of our own actions on others. We then reached out to our friends and families, as well as to those whose views had long been fundamentally different from ours.
Let us hope that this September, a year after the terrorist attacks on the United States, we can continue to grow, learn from each other, increase our awareness, compromise when necessary and work together for the betterment of society. May we listen to others, stand up for ourselves, and truly appreciate what we have and those whom we love.
