My Dear Writing Friends,
This isn’t the writing prompt I originally planned for today, September 11, 2026.
As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approached, there were many mentions of that horrific day.
So, I pivoted, thinking it’s a good time to reflect, to remember.
If you are inclined, write what that day was like for you.
Or write about the days that followed.
Were you in a daze?
Did your life change after those events? If yes, how?
Did you feel the need to be around people?
Or did you need to isolate, to cocoon?
How did you cope?
Why write about this now? Because one way to manage intense feelings is to write about them.
September 11, 2001
My neighbor called early in the morning. “Do you think it’s safe for the kids to walk to school?”
I stepped outside. The sky was blue. Birds were singing.
We were safe here in Northern California, I thought. Many others are not okay. But we are. For now.
That Saturday my daughter left for college, having to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. I was sure the bridge would be bombed while she was on it.
A ridiculous fear? Maybe. Probably. But that’s what tragic events can do. Plant irrational fears.
I remember the days after, attending to what needed to be done while carrying disbelief, holding grief.
“We’ll never be the same,” I thought.
American flags appeared on porches as if to say, “We’re in this together.”
Women At Ground Zero
A few weeks after the attack, Susan Hagen and Mary Carouba boarded a plane for New York City to interview female responders.
“Women at Ground Zero” is a powerful collection of first-person stories told by female firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, and others who risked their lives to save others.
Write to Heal
“When we experience an emotional event, we tend to replay it in our minds. Sometimes we want uncomfortable situations to disappear, so we try to ignore and suppress what happened.
But we don’t forget.” — Excerpt from Write to Heal
Write to Heal has tips on taking care of yourself when writing about difficult topics.