Twelve years ago, our country was attacked. So many people’s lives changed that day.  I can still remember exactly what I was doing when I heard.  As information unfolded, I found that I didn’t know anyone personally who was killed during 9-11…until a few months ago.

Kenny was a childhood friend when I lived in an apartment building in NY city.  My sister and I have fond memories of him even though we didn’t know him long. He made a lasting impression upon us because, even at the tender age of 4 or 5 yrs old, he was kind, nurturing and sweet.  We had such fun as pre-school aged kids in that apartment building watching Marine Boy and Speed Racer while jumping on the couch cushions.

Once, all three of us got stuck in the elevator on our way up to his apartment to watch cartoons.  He protected us from the mean looking older man who got stuck with us…or so we felt.

Our families went on a vacation together once and had a blast.  However, we moved away and lost touch with Kenny and his family not too long after this picture was taken.

One day last month, I was telling my niece about him as she was visiting ARIDzona from California.  On that same day her mother, my sister, was trying to find Kenny to connect with him on Facebook.  What she found saddened us both.

Kenny died in the Twin Towers that fateful day on September 11, 2001.  We found his memorial page online.  We were not at all surprised to find that he had lived his life in such a way as to leave behind a great deal of people who admired and missed him dearly–as we do.  He had made such an impression that his memorial webpage is filled with posts of how Kenny had touched people’s lives.  Kenny grew into a good and faith-filled man and I am saddened that he was taken from us before I got to know him as an adult.

My prayers go out to his family on this day as they celebrate his incredible life even as they remember his tragic and senseless death.

My prayers go up for all who were affected by this terrible day in our country’s history…that is to say, all Americans.  Because we were all touched by the horror of that day and always will be.

I pray also that I might live my life as Kenny apparently lived his short time here.  May we all be inspired to be the kind of person who touched so many lives.