{"id":25544,"date":"2025-09-11T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544"},"modified":"2025-07-05T09:48:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T13:48:51","slug":"remembering-the-losses-of-9-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2025\/09\/remembering-the-losses-of-9-11.html","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ten years ago, in 2015, I visited the 9\/11 Memorial.\u00a0 I walked slowly along the walls, reading the names\u2014names of people I had never met, but who were someone\u2019s mother, father, sibling, spouse, or friend. Ordinary people who had simply shown up for work or boarded a flight, doing what they did every day\u2014until everything changed in an instant.<\/p>\n

I remember watching it unfold live on television. That morning, I was sitting in the waiting area of a local Jeep dealership while my car was being serviced. A TV played in the background, mostly ignored, until something caught my eye: a plane flying unusually close to the towers. My first thought was that the pilot must be experiencing a medical emergency. Then came the impact. The room went still. All eyes turned to the screen as reporters tried to grasp what was happening. No one had answers. It was surreal\u2014unthinkable. And then the second plane hit.<\/p>\n

We watched in silence as ash filled the sky, people ran for their lives, and chaos gripped New York City. I immediately thought of friends and family who lived or worked there. My nephew, on his way into the city that morning, saw the smoke billowing from the towers as he commuted to his job. He was safe, but so many others were not.<\/p>\n

Trauma imprints itself in our minds. Vivid memories often attach to moments of intense emotion\u2014fear, grief, shock. Our brains seem to take mental snapshots in those moments, images that never fade.<\/p>\n

So this weekend, as we reflect on those mental snapshots or listen to stories from those who were there, I encourage you to pray\u2014for the families who lost loved ones, for the first responders, and for those whose health was affected by the toxic dust and smoke. It was a day marked by unimaginable loss but also by profound courage and resilience.<\/p>\n

For those who lost loved ones, life was permanently altered. I understand that pain. I lost my brother in a different terror attack. He\u2019s been missing from graduations, weddings, holidays\u2014those big and small moments that make up a life. I miss him deeply and often wonder what our relationship would be like if he were still here. Anniversaries, in particular, are hard.<\/p>\n

With time, we heal. The intensity of the pain may lessen, but the absence remains. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember. And remembering is good. Call to mind the happy memories\u2014vacations, birthdays, laughter around the dinner table. Let those memories rise. Share them. Sharing grief is a step toward healing.<\/p>\n

If you know someone who lost a loved one on 9\/11, consider reaching out. A simple note to say, \u201cI remember,\u201d can mean more than you realize.<\/p>\n

Even in the face of great loss, we hold on to hope. Revelation 21:4 promises, \u201cHe will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u201d<\/em> One day, we will be reunited with those we\u2019ve lost. Our grief will end, and joy will be restored.<\/p>\n

Until then, comfort those who grieve. Remember with them. And never forget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ten years ago, in 2015, I visited the 9\/11 Memorial.\u00a0 I walked slowly along the walls, reading the names\u2014names of people I had never met, but who were someone\u2019s mother, father, sibling, spouse, or friend. Ordinary people who had simply shown up for work or boarded a flight, doing what they did every day\u2014until everything…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[925],"tags":[9113,9116,9110,9107,9104,9122,9119],"class_list":["post-25544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mintle-mentions","tag-9-11-families","tag-9-11-healing","tag-9-11-loss-911-grieving","tag-9-11-remembrance","tag-9-11-9-11-memorial","tag-healing-from-trauma-of-9-11","tag-trauma-and-loss"],"yoast_head":"\nRemembering the Losses of 9\/11<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Remember and pray for those who lost loved ones on 9\/11. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember and heal.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remember and pray for those who lost loved ones on 9\/11. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember and heal.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doing Life Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-11T12:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-05T13:48:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/07\/tribute-in-light-4470711_1280.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Mintle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@drlindamintle\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11","description":"Remember and pray for those who lost loved ones on 9\/11. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember and heal.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11","og_description":"Remember and pray for those who lost loved ones on 9\/11. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember and heal.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544","og_site_name":"Doing Life Together","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","article_published_time":"2025-09-11T12:00:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-05T13:48:51+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/07\/tribute-in-light-4470711_1280.jpg"}],"author":"Linda Mintle","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@drlindamintle","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544","name":"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/07\/tribute-in-light-4470711_1280.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-11T12:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-05T13:48:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142"},"description":"Remember and pray for those who lost loved ones on 9\/11. We don\u2019t forget\u2014but we do need time and space to remember and heal.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/07\/tribute-in-light-4470711_1280.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/258\/2025\/07\/tribute-in-light-4470711_1280.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=25544#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Remembering the Losses of 9\/11"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/","name":"Doing Life Together","description":"Relationship Doctor, Mental Health, Emotional Wellness, Relationship Advice & Entertainment","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142","name":"Linda Mintle","description":"It is rare that a trained academic who speaks passionately to the heart of people providing real answers to real life problems is so relatable. Dr. Linda\u2019s fun personality and expertise comes through whether she\u2019s helping her audience stress less or make peace with their thighs! Dr. Linda has her Ph.D. in Urban Health and Clinical Psychology and is a national expert on mental health. She has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety, depression and pain management. With 30 years of clinical experience working with couples, families and individuals, she brings her common-sense approach to people who want to live in positive mental health. Dr. Linda is also a bestselling author with 21 book titles to her credit, a radio host of the Dr. Linda Mintle show, professor, national speaker, winner of the Mom\u2019s Choice Award, a national news consultant, featured writer for Beliefnet and hosts her own website. Her academic appointments keep her abreast of current research in her areas of expertise. Her media experience includes seven years as the resident expert for ABC Family\u2019s Living the Life television show and regular appearances on network television and radio. It is often said that being with Dr. Linda is like having coffee with a friend. She makes the complicated issues of relationships and mental health easy to understand and applicable to everyday living. The ease she has with people, coupled with her clinical training and experience makes her a sought-after speaker on college campuses, conferences and special events. Whether she is doing a TV skit with Tim Conway or discussing teen violence with Queen Latifa, Dr. Linda will entertain, educate and integrate faith and mental health in everyday living. Check out her latest book Hope and Healing for Anxiety, a whole-person approach to eliminate anxiety. .","sameAs":["https:\/\/drlindamintle.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/x.com\/drlindamintle"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/author\/lmintle"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25550,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25544\/revisions\/25550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}