Legacies Lost

September 11, 2001 is one of those days that people look back on and remember where they were, what they were doing, and almost like a movie playing in their minds, they remember what was said to them and how they felt when realization set in, even though it was so surreal. It doesn't seem like seven years ago. It seems like yesterday. Many of us watched the memorials on television and perhaps even participated in our own community remembrances. I found myself wondering about the babies left behind by everyone who died. Children of every age had parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the buildings that fell. Babies were born after their fathers perished. It's amazing how -- in a couple of fleeting moments -- not only was history changed, but the lives and legacies of over 2,700 people were forever altered. What if? What if they had lived? There were people from 96 different countries and territories who died. How has their passing changed the course of history? We'll never know, but I'm certain that much more than lives was lost that day. Important discoveries weren't made. Children weren't raised with both parents. Someone who was lost forever didn't go home and didn't meet the person they would eventually marry. Their children never existed. Some of them were unable to donate an organ and someone who needed an organ didn't get one and lost their life too. A few books weren't written. Many heirlooms weren't passed down to a younger generation. Many who died weren't there for a graduation, a wedding, a bar mitzvah, a funeral, or to coach a daughter through a difficult childbirth. Speeches went unsaid, songs went unsung, and letters went unwritten. Someone's dog wondered where they were. Someone's child is still wondering. Like the footprints of the twin towers, we all leave a footprint. Some are bigger than others, but we all leave our mark. What would happen if you didn't come home? What wouldn't happen? It would be a fitting tribute to all who died that day if, in their memory, we made bigger footprints -- worked harder, played nicer, loved better -- if we cherished the time we have and didn't waste a moment -- if we apoligized more and complained less, because after all...we still have the ability to tell our loved ones how we feel and what they mean to us. I'm sure all of those people in the twin towers would cherish one last moment to do that. What would happen if...?