I met George W. Bush briefly at a Cowboys game in January 2010. It was the first season in the new stadium, the first playoff game we had won in years. And it was against the Eagles. Can't forget that date.
My friend said, "Hey man, we wish you were still in there." Without hesitation, Bush responded, "I sure don't."
I always felt like that was such a weird thing to say. But I was in middle school when he was President. I didn't have any concept of how heavy it must have been.
Looking back, I cannot imagine the stress of being in that role when 9/11 happened.
I remember seeing it happen on the news before going to school that morning. But I was just young enough to have no idea what it really meant until later.
25 years is simultaneously a long time and no time at all. We all know that our country isn't the same. In a lot of ways, we haven't gotten better. We are less united than we were back then. Possibly more divided than ever.
Maybe one of the best ways to honor the victims and families impacted by 9/11 is to remember how the country came together on 9/12. We're not without issues, but America is still the greatest country on Earth.
We don't have to agree on everything. But we can choose to remember what it felt like to stand together. That's worth holding onto.
Never forget.
