Thank you Jacob!!
1
Thanks for this, Jacob.
1
One of the marvels of that day is the EMPTY seats on those airplanes and the mass of people who, for whatever reasons, were not at work to be killed that day by the Muslim terrorists.
A defense media office was in the direct path of the Pentagon plane and my cousin worked there but was out looking for a new home that Tuesday.
2
Jacob, nothing but love from someone in Texas. Finish Strong!
1
Quote: ...It has been years of healing - for me, and for America..."
NOT for me...
I was proud to serve NYC via E.M.S., (now an N.Y.F.D. sub_bu,); ...When I grew tired of urban paramedicine, I took a tech.spt. class, then got hired, at...the late, great 1 W.T.C.
I wax outsourced a few weeks ahead of M. Atta's blasphemous arrogance; 418 coworkers WEREN'T so, fortunate / remain on 'Eternal_Patrol', to borrow a navel expression...
I, ('somberly!), remember Joyce C., Harvey G. and many, others...each, 'N, every September 11th.
2
Thanks, Jacob.
2
God bless you, Jacob Campbell.
2
I pray for God conforting your heart.
1
Jacob, my father died while I was working on my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. That was 45 years ago. The cause was cigarettes. I never got to have him see me graduate, get married, he never saw any of his grandchildren, and I watched my mother deal with 35 years of loneliness. Losing a parent is a shock to the system, no doubt. However, it is something that nearly everyone has to deal with one way or another. The only way to avoid it is to die before your parents, which is worse. I do understand your grief but I do not understand why you think your grief is special.
3
It's special because images and remembrances of 9/11 are inescapable and the grief is shared by tens of thousands who lost loved ones that day. While I'm sorry that your father died you don't have to relive it every year in popular culture, history classes in school, or the media. Like Jacob I lost someone that day, and every time I see footage of towers fall I'm watching their death. If you can't appreciate the unique quality that brings to our grief you understand nothing.
71
9/11 was shocking and came out of nowhere, terrifying, seemed almost apocalyptic. We were all in such collective shock. The whole world order changed into something unfamiliar. Our collective sense of security and safety was thrown into question.
7
@Ama - We've got 70,000 Bahamians with no way to survive, no homes, food or water right at our doorstep. We sent, who knows, how many innocent Iraqi citizens to death or dismemberment for what turned out to be no reason at all. The perpetrator of that lives comfortably in a condo in Dallas. The world is all mixed up and it is getting worse as the powers that are make sure that everyone gets what is coming to them. We'll make those Cubans pay. And those Iranians pay, too. Crazy!
2
Dear Jacob,
I cannot thank you enough for sharing your story. Your mother and your entire family must be so proud of all that you have accomplished and will undoubtedly continue to achieve.
2
A beautiful piece.
3
Really moving. Enjoy your sophomore year as a wolverine.
2
Dear Jacob,
I am sure your mother would be very proud of the
thoughtful and sensitive young man you have become. We wish you well in your studies.
Thank you for sharing with all of us.
Margie K
2
Jacob,
Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece about your experience with your loss and your grief. It’s hard to grieve a parent when you don’t remember that parent. I know, because my dad died when I was 4. It’s like there’s a big hole or void. Like you said, the loss of someone else like your grandfather can trigger the grief. I think it’s great that you are facing your grief and 9/11 head on. Good for you for sharing - you’ve helped a lot of people with this article. And know that there are millions of people thinking about you and others like you today. Yes, your mom would be proud.
2
Today is my birthday. I haven’t felt like celebrating it since that awful day. I read your article and it moved me deeply. Your parents would be proud of the thoughtful, articulate, and brave person you have become. I can’t begin to imagine how you have handled everything. I do hope you know your mother will not be forgotten. I also hope you become a writer. You have a talent that will take you far.
3
I am one of those choking back tears, too.... and I am glad that the Navy Seals had a successful mission....
But the passion to repay, expressed against the Saudis here, is one that must be controlled. Literally millions have died because of Bush's madness.... If it were possible to bring the specific Saudis who might have been involved to justice, that would be great.... but more than that.... I think not.
1
Well done on all counts Mr. Campbell. Continue to do your family proud.
1
Today on the NPR program 1A, host Joshua Johnson said there is a distinct demarcation of America before 9/11 and America post 9/11. Any one who has gone through trauma knows it changes you in ways you carry with you forever. Thomas Moore wrote "The Dark Night of the Soul" on the transformational power of a crisis event, such as a death, a divorce, or a terminal illness, and how if you come through it, you become a different person. Collectively, the entire nation went through this together. But you were born into this, having lived less than a year before losing your mother. You grew with the event and were shaped by it. It is impossible to know how you might be different had that day been different. It seems you have grown into a thoughtful and caring person, and so you have brought something positive to this tragedy. Best wishes going foreward and God bless.
3
Jacob your beautifully written and charted story brings home the awful burden laid on children who lost parents so cruelly and senselessly. And, as though that initial blow was not enough, 9/11 took more lives of others who helped and searched for lost ones.
I wept as I read of your struggle and of your grandparents' will to love and care for you. In some awful way, that terrible past has forged a strong and loving man-a man who writes with a soft yet fierce pen.
1
Mr. Campbell, thank you for this compelling piece. We can only imagine you growing up wondering about your mom. You had time with your grandfather. Cherish the memories. You had to endure the unimaginable because of evil and hate. No child should have to pay that price.
May you be granted success and peace. Your words here will never be forgotten. Your mom would be proud of you and grateful you took the time to honor her back in New York on this day.
3
My mother's parents and brother disappeared into Auschwitz.
She prayed for them every day, but rarely talked about them.
There are different ways of handling tragedy, but your way
Mr. Campbell of getting involved with your grandfather and your mom's friends and proceeding with your education, seems to me like a good way.
6
As with all "wars" and hateful acts, it is sad to think of the wonderful talented and caring lives that are lost forever. Only a few people truly hate others, and our work should be to keep these hateful ones out of positions of power.
Jacob, I'm sure your mother was a wonderful, loving mother, and you were her joy.
1
Very touching!
Thank you for sharing your personal tragic stories of 9/11 terrorist attack!
We shall never forget the attack!
Jacob, as a Michigan alum, your story rang especially true. I’m so sorry you never got to know your mom. 9/11 was a terrible terrible day. Hang tough and Go Blue.
3
A very touching narrative encapsulating the grief so many have experienced because of this heinous crime against humanity. Your story is highly personal and particular, as all tragedies are, but so perfectly capturing how 9/11 has affected you individually makes it an extraordinary testament for all who suffered from and through this in their own unique personal ways.
There is an incredibly bittersweet satisfaction in your connecting with the Navy Seal who killed Osama Bin Laden. Your mom's horrific murder leaves a gap that can never be filled, but your meeting with Rob confirms for you that that gap need not include a sense of a world indifferent to evil and your plight, and bereft of justice. Rob's heroic feat shows that evil will always be answered by good, and healing, even if imperfect, is possible, in part because your community cares about you and will always fight for justice.
2
Much, much love to you Jacob and to your family.
My condolences. No one should have to go what you went through. Terrible tragedy that could have been avoided. My condolences also to the hundreds of thousands of innocents we have killed, wounded, maimed and displaced since then in our mindless, unending and vicious "War on Terror." And just think, there is no survivor fund for them. Jacob, you have only begun to learn the hard lessons of being a part of this country. Do yourself a favor and learn a lot more.
I remember every minute of that unforgettable day from the moment all of us sitting on the #7 train going into Manhattan slowly realized that we weren't witnessing a Bruce Willis movie - that the huge, smoking hole in the World Trade Tower was real, as real as the screams that spilled out of some of us when we all watched it collapse while walking across the 59th Street Bridge to get to work.
May every victim continue to rest in peace, and may their surviving loved ones have gotten to some kind of peaceful transition without them.
Sending my best wishes from the end of the world.
Your mom an all the other victims were mourned and are remembered all over the world.
And thank you for sharing your hope for America.
1
Very loving and good luck to you.
I hope we live up to what you deserve. None of us is your mother, but all of us are your parents. Godspeed.
Our collective future is safe in your hands Jacob. YOU are the reason why we are a great nation.
Very moving.
Im sure your mom would be so proud of you... working your way through your grief, reaching out for support. You are mature beyond your years and I wish you a rich and happy life.
Dramatists must be aware as all artists that the 9/11 attack as well as the aids epidemic have impacted arts in America. New & younger & diverse individuals should be encouraged & inspired to respond to world events . I recall the empathic stage drama penned by Dr. Larry Myers called "Utopia Rescheduled" which was presented across the street from the WTC at Manhattan St. John's campus (no longer there).Myers directs the Playwrights Sanctuary encouraging other empaths & light workers to explore, investigate, create & express.
1
Thank you for sharing this Jacob.
Jacob....I applaud you!
This is a wonderful tribute to your mom and grandfather. I’m glad you are coming to terms with the terrible losses you experienced. Your mom would be so proud of your strength and grace.
Jacob
you are a tribute to your mother.... i am sobbing at my desk at work reading your wonderful writing. no one of us who did not lose someone in the horrid attacks of 9/11, and especially a mother, will ever experience what you have ... you eloquently expressed it for me.
my heart and prayers are with you as you continue your journey in life... may God bless you for the rest of your life.
Your mom would be so proud. I cried as I read your story.
Our neighbor’s sister was on flight 11, it was terrible to bear witness to their pain.
1
Dear Jacob, I’m so sorry about your mother’s death on this tragic day. Please know that she and all the others who died that day; those who, like your grandfather, died later of the effects of destruction; and you, who grew up without your mother, are in all our hearts today and always.
His father was a NYPD officer that also digged through the rubble. He had a fatal heart attack a few months before Jake found out he was accepted to University of Michigan. They are unsure if it was related to the toxic air of the day.
1
Beautiful. 🤗
Jacob, you are your Mom's legacy, and I know she is full of love for you. You honor, her, your Gramp those who worked at the WTC site, and those who fought well. Bless your heart and wishing you well in the next 18 years (and the next and the next and the...). You've done her right-proud!
Thank You Jacob, for helping us to "Never Forget."
In remembering you and everyone, we can find those gifts you mentioned to become stronger people and a stronger America.
Tears help.
I'm glad you're on the September 11th Board.
My granddaughter, who i am raising with her grandfather, my exhusband, read the book Eleven over the summer for her middle school. This book is all about what happened in 9/11. None of the middle school kids were born yet in 2001. I shared my memories of that day and we had long talks about it.
Thanks for sharing your moving personal experience. I am so sorry for your losses, both your mom and your grandfather. I believe they are both with you in spirit and watching out for you.
2
Your mom would be very proud of you. A beautiful piece.
3
Born and raised in India, I hadn't lived in America for long when 9/11 happened. One of the images that forever stuck with me was of innocent people jumping out of the windows, and of goodbye voicemails. In that moment, I was as American as the next guy.
Friends in India would flippantly say while discussing 9/11 that it was bad but America got payback for what it did, and each time I'd find myself saying "but innocent people died, don't you think that was just wrong?" because the image of folks like Jacob's mom flashed before my eyes.
I took my oath of citizenship this year.
Jacob, I feel like I know your mom. Of all the things I am proud of as an American, I am most honored and proud to be a fellow citizen of yours. If there's anything you need, you let me know alright?
9
Dear Jacob, despite the losses you've suffered, you've done brave and heroic work to look at the entire tragedy of 9/11 and not to turn away. For a short time afterwards, the world turned its eyes to America and offered us compassion and shared our mourning. Some voices asked caution the country not to move in haste and seek revenge. Peace was within our grasp. What would have happened if we'd listened to our better natures?
4
What a remarkable person you are, Jacob, for being willing to find the gifts in sadness to become a better person. I wish you love and peace on your journey. Thank you for sharing your story.
7
Rage would be far better than grief in order to prevent such things from happening again. This would require unvarnished awareness of who perpetrated this crime, where they came me from, what their belief system was and how it inspired their actions on 9/11.
2
I join the other readers who were touched by your piece and grateful for the perspective that you shared with us. My condolences to you, and your family on your losses. I, too, believe with all my heart that you were all your Mother thought of on that horrific day. You are a testimony to the love and devotion of your grandparents and other family members and they deserve to be proud of the young man that you have become. Your strength is admirable.
7
This is a lovely piece but, as a bereaved parent, I can only say that the grief of the parents whose children died on September 11th, and those of us whose children have died before and since, is far more devastating than the loss of a parent a child never knew. That does not take away from the author's life, struggles, and his writing. It's just a perspective I feel compelled to share.
4
Your comment strikes me as extremely insensitive. If you had grown up without a mother, would you have written it? I think not.
1
Dear Jacob, Thank you for your writing, it moved me to tears. Congratulations on being in college, starting many relationships and living life making your family proud, and loving them back with all your might. We will not forget. Peace and love.
6
I can’t change what has happened to me. I can only respond to it, and I owe it to some people to make the best out of my situation.
Those words, Jacob. So profound, so simple in the truth of your life. May you live out a long life to honor your mother and your grandparents. I wish you the very best. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
15
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Jacob. Your memories and reflections moved me.
10
My co-worker commented to me yesterday, "This '9-11' is a big deal because 2019 is the first year school children are too young to remember the event."
At first, I didn't know how to respond. I was in the emergency management office doing routine maintenance on systems rotation. Ironic, I know. Maybe I just shouldn't say anything at all.
I couldn't help myself though.
"Eye witness."
Response came back, "I know, I know. Can you imagine what these kids don't understand?"
*sigh*
"No. I mean I was an eye witness. My school overlooked southern Manhattan."
After both planes had crashed and both towers had collapsed in front of my eyes, I remember being placed in the school auditorium. Parents were instructed to pickup their kids. For any parent otherwise unavailable, emergency bus and train service was made available.
I was among the children who weren't picked up. I took a bus home to an empty house. No parents. No siblings. Nothing at all.
I learned later my father had left in effort to get his wife and her co-workers out of Manhattan sooner rather than later. He failed in this attempt. They ended up taking a ferry and basically hitch-hiking their individual ways home.
This wasn't strange to me.
The strange part was the following week in school. You could tell which parents had died by which students didn't show up for school. That's how we knew.
The thing I remember most though is the reaction from my teacher when the first tower fell. I'll never forget that moment.
13
This personal account strongly resonates with me because when I was a kid (in Pennsylvania), I also flipped to the end of the history book just as Jacob did - because we never quite got there in class, in the rush at the end of the school year. I read with interest about some kind of war in Vietnam that Americans had been involved in. As I was born in 1973 I was too young to remember any of it. I wish we *had* reached it. Then, perhaps, I could have understood a little better what my parents and all of their generation had experienced.
10
I visited the Tribute Museum over the summer. Part of the installation recognizes, in photos and words, the post-9/11 heroism of a woman who lost her sister that day. I was stunned to realize that this person is the mother of someone with whom I've worked very closely. The next day I mentioned it at my current job and learned that one of my coworkers lost his sister in the attack. It's in the country's bloodstream and touches everyone. How inspiring, then, that someone who was affected in the most profound way can show us how to move forward without forgetting. Jacob Campbell, thank you. YOU are the best possible tribute to your mother.
10
Jacob, I don't know what you plan to major in, but you write beautifully. I hope you'll continue to find outlets for that talent. There's an adage that says not to cry so many tears about the past that you drown the future. That's often easier said than done, and it frequently requires great courage and stamina. You demonstrate both here. I wish you joy and peace as you go through life.
18
Thank you for sharing this, Jake. I am currently teaching a college course on 9/11 because in the years following 2001 my students gradually knew less and less about 9/11 to the point that they were too young to remember it at all. We are reading stories like yours so people will continue to understand who and what was lost that day and in the weeks, months and years of grief that followed. I wish you the best in your studies and I hope you continue to keep your mother's memory alive in gestured like this letter.
14
What a beautiful essay. I wish you all the best. Your humility and grace shine through. I'm sure your mom would be so proud. I'm a mom and I am deeply touched. Thank you.
24
If there were such a thing as required reading for the public, I believe Jacob Campbell's piece would be included. I cannot think of anything that better captures the tragedy of 9/11. Jacob's writing helps us feel the emotions of those who experienced the most personal loss.
27
This is such a sensitive and moving narrative. Your family lost so much, and yet they still shepherded you through life in a way that led to your becoming someone outstanding. My strongest admiration goes to them and you.
22
What a deeply moving and beautifully written story! Thank you, Jacob. As a mother, I guarantee that your mother would have been so, so proud of the young man you've become. I'm sending love and hugs to you and your family on this difficult day, and I encourage you to keep writing. You have a gift.
29
Jacob, Thank you for sharing your personal story of 9/11. Over the years I have often wondered about the very young, like yourself, who lost their parents on that day. What a wonderful testament to your grandparents. I wish you the best in all your years ahead.
18
Jacob, you are an amazing young man who is a gift to all who know you. Stay strong and may you have the peace you deserve.
13
Jacob, Godspeed. It's hard in so many different ways. Changes as you grow older and your view changes. Your writing truly describes what the healing is like. I lost my brother in another act of terrorism in 1988. The wound never quite heals though the connections and relationships you make over the years do help.
14
@Eileen Carrier
My sympathies and true empathy on your brother's death by terrorism.
You state things so well:
"Changes as you grow older and your view changes."
Yes, time is a often, if not a healer, a 'revealer.'
~ 9/11 family member
(aunt to) Andrea, 25 years old,
WTC 1/North Tower, 92nd Flr.
I am blessed by these words. I am reminded of another's reflection on grief: "Words had no weight until that moment." That is what 9/11 means to many of us.
7
Thank you for sharing your hopeful and inspiring story, today, Jake.
You've helped a lot of people in doing so.
Best always in your life and future.
~ 9/11 family member (aunt)
13
I sobbed through this as I read it. Thank you for sharing your story, helping us walk in your shoes and to see that goodness can still come out of all this. I wish you all the best. Love and peace
15
Wow - what an amazing story - thank you for sharing your experiences. May you continue to heal from the loss of your Mother and your Grandfather. Your story will help others in a variety of situations to heal - just to hear that you continue on with a positive attitude when you have every right to be bitter and angry is an inspiration to me. Even though you may say you are just living life, you are my hero. Same with your Grandparents who took on a baby during their moment of deep grief.
13
This is beautiful. Thank you.
10
We mourn with you, Jacob. And we remember with you and for you. We will never forget. Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your experiences. I'm so sorry for your loss, and am profoundly inspired by your courage. What a legacy your mother left behind.
Peace be with you.
12
Thank you for your personal and truthful article Jacob. It was a defining moment for us all, but primarily for you and your family. It is a kindness to us that you shared your story, and I thank you for it. You and your family are in my thoughts.
9
As someone who sat with a one month old on my lap as I absorbed the news and waited for word of family in Manhattan (fortunately for us, good news), this story resonates deeply. I am quite sure your mother was thinking of you in those final moments and can only imagine how proud she would be of the young man you've become.
20
Jacob,
What a gift your writing this piece! Others get to see how life beautifully flows on. Yes, with the sadness - with the more-than-sadness- but for the first time since that day which cracked time and space, a way forward is shown from the inside. From a child of the attack. You have been able to describe and share this just beautifully. Your mother and your grandfather would be very very proud.
12
Jake, a lot of people have told you here that your mother would be so proud of you. I agree wholeheartedly, and just wanted to add, as a father of two grown children (23 and 26), that a parent's pride, which your mother has felt every day of your life, is one of the most rewarding emotions a parent can feel. While it's just one part of love, it might be the most joyful part. Through your words, it could be you have given her a gift she treasures above any other she could ever imagine.
12
Thank you, Jacob. This was such a poignant and insightful piece. You’ve got this!
9
Today as I rode the bus through the Lincoln Tunnel into port authority doing my regular commute I thought about 18 years ago today and what a terrible day it was and so many emotions came back for me. I saw all the port authority vehicles with their emergency lights on in memory of their colleagues and realized that many of the commuters around me weren’t thinking about that day at all and I wondered if people will eventually forget that day and all it symbolized for a generation. And finally I wondered what has become of that last generation of babies too young to remember their life with their loved one gone so long.......And then I found this piece and it gave me some hope that we will continue to remember the sacrifices made that day and perhaps this next generation will find ways to make it a better world for everyone.
Your comments are a beautiful testament to your mother who brought you into this world and to your grandparents and extended family who continued her journey with you.
21
Thank you very much for sharing your story. You are doing a beautiful job growing up. No doubt your mom would be proud.
10
Dear Jacob,
Thank-you for sharing your beautifully written story. I am very sorry for your losses. September 11 evokes great sadness for us all, particularly those that lost loved ones. I wish you much happiness and success in your life.
DCC
10
I appreciated this prospective and how a day would affect the author for the rest of his days. But I gleaned hope as his message and that message is needed today as much it was then. A day that I have thought about and reflected on each year. The Only Plane in the Sky is a book worth reading.
5
Lovely, poignant, moving, so human and so relevant...thank you for the gift you gave us all by sharing your story. May you continue to heal, and may your life be as fulfilling as all of your wishes for your future.
11
A beautiful story. Thank you. To a great future.
7
Thank you Jacob for such a beautifully written and emotional story of your life since that horrible day I remember so well. The world needs more people like you, with a heart and soul, especially now. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
11
To our brave friend and colleague Tom Burnett, we remember you today.
6
This is a beautiful essay and I cannot take anything from it. It speaks for so many. But I am writing from a different perspective:
At 8:15 on 9/11/01, I received a call from my daughter who was delivering her baby, my first grandchild. I lay in bed listening to the delivery in GA through 9 am when the first plane hit. I told my daughter that something bad had happened in NY but she angerly told me nothing could take from the day. We could not speak again for 2 days due to the circuit problems.
Many years later, on this day, I always think of the personal achievements, weddings, deaths and yes, birthdays, that have occurred on this day but cannot be celebrated.
I'm so sorry for your loss but I wall say here, I am so tired of the continual reference to "9/11". We all have a right to this day; can't we call it "World Trade Center Day"?
My first granddaughter is eighteen today.
3
@M2. I live in Japan, where on March 11, 2011, we had the huge quake, tsunami and nuclear accident. We refer to that day as 3/11. I get where you're coming from about the date and how it's not *just* tragedy for you, but I think it's inevitable with something that big. Life IS a mix. My favorite grandfather died on my 16th birthday, so ever after the day has been bittersweet. But that's just the way things go. Endings and beginnings can come from the same place sometimes. Shadows make the light shine brighter.
6
Thank you, Jacob, for sharing your story, your history, your feelings and your life with us, all survivors of 9/11. Your heart wrenching story is so poignant; and it reminds us how truly fortunate we are to be alive. I write this from Venice, where the bells of the Campanile just rang at midnight. I ended the evening at a tiny restaurant on a quiet street, outdoors under an umbrella. Another American couple was seated at a table next to us . We began talking to one another ... and before we knew it, our conversation became about 9/11 ... this being the 18th anniversary. We were all Americans sharing our memories and our pain. My husband lost 99 colleagues in the South Tower; and, as we lived only 700 feet from the WTC ... his 7 minute commute to the 95th floor saved him. The plane struck the North Tower too early! The whole horrible tragedy was senseless and needless, and I am so sorry that your mother died that day, without the joy of seeing you grow and mature, pleased with all you have become. I hope you will keep her memory in your heart forever, knowing that she lives through you. May you be blessed with love, happiness, and wonderful adventures ... taking her along with you every step of the way. She would be extraordinarily proud of you. None of us have a clue about when our “number is up”! With that in mind ...be happy, Share your joy with others. . Life is precious ... and, even as we pause to remember this day, take heart that time does heal all wounds.
12
Mr. Campbell, you are grace and dignity personified. Never change young man.
13
This is beautifully written. If you were my son, I would be SO PROUD of the man you have become.
19
Your mom would be so proud of you - as we readers are of your courage to share your intimate story- thank you for that.
May you continue to set such a great example
Thank you
Matt
10
I avoided this article all day because I knew it would make me cry. I'm riding home on an NJ Transit train now and I'm bawling. In a good way. Thank you Jason.
15
Jacob, darn autocorrect.
When I read stories of such grief - poignant, moving, and heartfelt - I tend to reflect on the tens of thousand others. The voiceless, the unknowns, the grievously wounded, and the dead of the carpet bombings in Vietnam, the shock-and-awe bombings in Iraq, and the decades long quagmire of Afghanistan. Who is there to write their stories . . .
12
@PS
As I wrote above, I agree with you completely. As terrible a story as the WTC is, tens of thousands of people die every day in tragedy. We must not forget them either.
Such a thoughtful and touching memoir. Thank you for sharing your story with all of us. I love the thought of all of you gathering at the site over the years. As sad as it must be, it is nice that you can share it with others who understand. Best wishes to you.
8
Thanks for sharing your story, it moved me to tears. My kids aare just getting old enough to grasp the significance, I will share this essay so they can see it through the yes of a child/man who grew into an understanding of it over time, in such a deeply personal way. I am sorry for your losses.
6
Thank you so much for sharing your life with us. I am touched by your pain and heartened to hear of your emotional progress. I worked with teachers who lost loved-ones during 9/11, including the father of a newborn, and was close enough to the event to be traumatized in my own way, but I never heard the effect before on the life of someone whose mom was taken from them when they barely knew her. You have added to my perspective and I admire the direction your life has taken in order to heal.
5
We are so thankful for your healing that is ongoing. Some folks never heal from the kind of tragedies you’ve endured in your life. Your grandparents, obviously, contributed much and we are so sorry for another loss you had to absorb from 9/11, with your grandpa passing. It is most inspiring to read about the gifts you’ve gained from such sorrow and grief. It brings a sense of hope out of overwhelming circumstances. Jacob, may your road ahead be filled with wonderful relationships and a deep understanding of what really matters in a life well lived.
4
Incredible essay. Thank you for sharing this very personal experience with us.
6
Wow, Jake, incredibly moving and inspiring. Glad to hear about all the positive things going on in your life. Stay strong...
8
Wow. Thank you for your beautiful words. I am moved to tears.
12
Jacob, your mom's memory lives on in your writing and sharing her story. I can imagine how much joy you've brought to your family as they've raised you and watch her legacy live on through you. Thanks for telling us about your journey, and sending you lots of love.
8
this is a lovely and profoundly moving reflection on what happened to you and your family. thank you for sharing it. the world has a place for you to do good in it, and I believe you will. thank you.
10
Thank you for sharing your story. I sit here on the train with tears in my eyes. Your mom would be so proud!!
7
What a beautiful piece of writing. I am crying as I write this post. Much love to you and your family on this difficult day. Your mother would be so proud of all that you have accomplished.
11
Jacob, thank you so much for your sharing your life with us. You words are so meaningful. May you be America's example. God Bless you and I wish you a beautiful future.
11
It's uplifting to know that such a fine young person has evolved from a nightmare like 9/11. Thank you for sharing your story.
21
Wonderful piece, thank you so much for sharing. It helps those of us far away from your grief understand what you've been through.
12
Thank you for sharing your story, Jacob. Your spirit is strong to endure such a loss and find happiness. Wishing you the best.
9
Your story brought me to tears. Thank you for your articulate and heartbreaking story. I wish for you continued healing surrounded by your friends and loving family.
18
You sound like a remarkable young man. As a mother of a young child I can tell you that any mother would be so proud of a son that has been able to succeed, in spite of the huge losses you have suffered. I hope you know that all our thoughts are with you this day. Please continue to be great.
27
I’m crying on the subway as I read this. I was your age when 9/11 happened. I now have a baby boy. Know that your mommy loved you more than anything, and nothing will ever change that. Wishing you lots of joy and love in your future.
28
Prayers to you and your family, Jacob. You are a writer of uncommon talent and potential. All of the mothers here who tell you that you were most certainly the last thing your mother thought of on that terrible day are right: I can't imagine leaving my son at his tender age. Yet what a gift that your grandparents were able to give you a childhood of love and safety while you learned to grow, even with this unfathomable loss to process. Keep writing. I would love to read more from you.
25
I am so sorry for your loss, I too have personal experience with a loved one dying and share in your grief.
May your heart grow and heal.
6
What a gifted writer you are. You are a thoughtful and sensitive young man.
You make her proud.
22
Thank you for your moving piece, Jacob. I still can't believe that 9/11 even happened. I've been in the WTC towers so many times. I can still see the plaza and building lobbies so vividly in my mind's eye. The shock of that day always remains. Thank you for sharing your story with readers who all care so deeply.
11
This is beautiful and heartfelt, Jacob. Sending you love and strength. Your mom would be so proud.
15
Jacob, Thank you for sharing your story. May we always remember your story - and all of the stories - of those affected by this tragedy. And may we also remember your mother's name and the names of the many others who lost their lives that day or as a result of that day.
6
Dear Jacob, thank you for sharing your heart with us. Sending love and sympathy to you and your family. Be well.
7
This piece touched me deeply. Thank you for sharing your story, Jacob.
10
Mr. Campbell, thank you for writing your essay. Your irreplaceable Mom was lost in this most unthinkable event.
As difficult as it is, life must go forward. This is what we do as Americans and that we do not unnecessarily dwell on the horror wrought by the cowardly acts we remember today.
I was at Citi Field when Mike Piazza's number 31 was retired. When play resumed after 9/11/01, Mr. Piazza won the first game back with a dramatic home run off of the Braves' top relief pitcher of that era.
Tears came to my eyes remembering the importance of Mr. Piazza's emotional home run and his subsequent Hall of Fame speech; much like tears came to my eyes reading your essay.
The message of that special night was important to NYC (then and now) plus to you: "Everything will be all right!"
Thank you, Jacob, for sharing your story. I admire your courage in learning and seeking greater understanding. I'm sorry for your losses and wish for you a happy, healthy life.
7
An understated but so powerful story. Thank you for sharing this on such a poignant day. Best wishes for you and your family going forward.
7
This piece was so beautiful and moving and deeply sad, I found myself tracing my fingers over the letters of Jake's mom, Jill Maurer-Campbell.
I've never done that on my own mother's grave.
An incredibly powerful piece of writing Mr. Campbell.
I hope you pursue writing for I long to read more of what you have to share with the world.
14
Years ago, my husband and I checked a video out of our library titled “Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero.”
We watched it several times, and I will never forget those who were featured in it. It gave us just a glimmer of understanding of what it must have been like to lose loved ones in that unbelievably cruel and catastrophic way.
I will never forget that video or the faces and words of the survivors.
6
I've read lots of tributes and memories today and none moved me like your story did. Your mother and grandfather would be very proud. Sending love to you and your grandmother.
23
Jacob, this is a beautifully written piece. Thank you for sharing your painful and deeply moving story. I hope you are developing your writing at Michigan. The world needs to read more from you.
14
All Americans like to claim they lost something that day...but its never as momentous as those who lost family, and close friends and coworkers. But far too many adopt a loss that is really just a construct. Constructed to make them feel a part of the core tragedy. A means to be bigger then they are.
Its similar to those who fake being veterans. Seeking virtue and yes even glory, by claiming a status.
Did 9-11, does 9-11 affect us? Yes, but its not the way too many people think by adopting a victim status. We're not all victims. Stooges for allowing our Govt to drag these wars on? Yes. In that we're being victimized, and duped.
The author here explains who the real victims and sufferers are. Buts its likely not you. No matter how much you insist.
1
I hope I'm not the only one who feels this every September.
While the WTC attacks will always remain as the one of the greatest tragedies our country has ever known, let us not forget all the other people in the world who die too young, leaving their families and friends to somehow cope.
I am thinking of other wars, disease, accidents, etc.
People like this must deal with the same kind of tragedy, but usually without the support that comes from knowing their loved ones are cherished and celebrated by most of the world.
My heart reaches out to everyone who suffers the too early loss of a loved one.
Thank you Jacob for a wonderful piece about the price of loss.
10
Such a beautiful piece, Jacob. Thank you so much for sharing.
10
Thank you Jacob. I’m 63 and British and grew up thankful for American courage and inspiring words and deeds. Today I am grateful for your words and the courage woven through your story.
I agree with jenh11 that your story is a great testament to the American spirit. In the times we live in I also feel a positive unifying and freeing force from your words.
Best wishes to you and to your family and friends.
11
I know your mother would be so proud of you. Thanks too to your grandparents who did a fine job of raising you. Lots of love & best wishes for your future.
12
Jacob/Jake,
You have been so courageous in facing this pain -- one that is intensely personal for you. And because of your courage and the courage of so many others, there is redemption--for all of us.
5
Reading this makes me think of my own story, as I was in a family that just narrowly avoided the same tragedy that happened to yours on that faithful day. On 9/11 I was 14 months old, and the second the news turned on with the first plane hit, my mother dropped to the floor. My father worked on the floor that was reported to be hit, and my mother thought she lost the father to her child. My grandmother was in a neighboring building at the time and had to be assisted out while crying for her son.
My story only differed, because my father overslept. every 9/11 I have to call and make sure that my father's alright. He struggles with survivors guilt every day and wonders why he survived and not some of his friends. It deeply scarred him, and my grandmother as she was in Southern Manhattan when the towers fell, and the trauma sticks to her this day. So, even if you don't have a personal loss like that in your family, I wonder what mine would be like if 9/11 never happened. Maybe my father would be a (higher) functioning adult and would never have to dread one day per year.
23
Thank you for sharing this Jacob. Blessings to you all today. Your family must be so proud of you. (oh, and by the way...Go Blue!)
9
Jacob,
I was in college when Sept. 11th happened. I was the age you are now, more or less, when the world as I knew it changed forever.
As I looked at the towers burning on TV, I honestly thought it was the end of the world - as in an apocalyptic end. That’s how much I couldn’t make sense of what was happening. While it wasn’t the end for me, it certainly was for many people and families.
But in your message to us via this newspaper, a message almost across time, I realize that all has not ended. The current of our country has shifted in irrevocable ways, but out of that has come people such as you. You are part of the collective national voice. Don’t forget that. You have something to say, and it’s worth more than what’s coming out of the mouths of some people in power today.
To quote “The Shawshank Redemption”: “Hope is a good thing, and a good thing never dies.” Thanks to you and people like you, we won’t die as a country. We’ll always have hope and, as long as we have that, people like your mom - people who went to work and never came home, people who got on a plane and never reached their destination - will not have died in vain.
On this Sept. 11th, I thank you for your honor and nobility in the face of your tragedy. Thank you for doing us all the collective honor of being a person of character who is living among us in these times that try our souls.
Sincerely, your fellow American,
Lindsay K.
26
Wow, you are an amazing writer Jacob. Thank you for sharing this wonderfully composed and deeply meaningful story of your life growing up in the wake of 9/11. I hope you will have the opportunity to come back to the pages of the NY Times to share with us again in the future.
16
What a beautiful piece. We're all so sorry about your Mom. Blessings to you, Jacob.
10
Beautifully written. God bless you and your family.
8
Thanks so much for sharing your very personal story with us. I can't identify with the pain you have felt, and with your immense loss, but as Americans we all share in the tragedy that touched your life. Your Mom would be ever so proud of you.
7
As I tell myself every year on this day, those who perished would want us to live. Live your life as best you can in honor of those who cannot. Jacob, as a mother, I know how proud your mother is of you.
11
Heart rending.
As a mother of two grown sons, I can imagine she thought of you and what would become of you in her last moments. So glad your grandparents were so strong and kind.
I have also seen the very moving documentary by Jules and Gedeon Naudet. Excellent and truthful.
Have you ever read the book about 9/11 written and published by Der Spiegel, the German media site? It is called "Inside 9/11". It came out fairly shortly after the events and they interviewed many survivors. It is excellent and worth reading.
(I assume you're aware the SNL comedian Pete Davidson lost his dad, a firefighter, on 9/11? He was 7 years old, a bad age to lose a dad, and it really has affected him. )
Again, as a mom, I can only wish you the best of everything in your future, and as smooth a path as is possible!
10
Jacob... My wife I have two children because of September 11.
My wife Simone had gone to Brazil for an operation that would repair her Fallopian tubes. When her Doctor did the examination he decided that the tubes were so badly damaged that it would take a miracle. He told her there would be less than 5% chance of pregnancy.
We decided not to go through with the operation.
On the morning of September 11 while at São Paulo airport to take a flight back to Florida she called me. "Are You Watching The News? I can't come back. There are no flights to United States..."
I turned on to NBC and in total disbelieve watched the unfolding chaos. I remember thinking "How could this be happening. Why??"
Since there were no flights and we had no idea when she would be able to come back she insisted that her doctor do the operation. On November she pregnant with our son. Three years later our daughter was born...
I am a 63 year old man. I cry every time I talk about this. What is it that creates joy in the face of total disarray? I have gotten to know you, your mother and grand parents who suffered because of me. I love all of you so much. I want you all to be my children's spiritual god parents.
20
Jacob, you deserve a better world. I suspect you'll work to make that happen.
18
Love ya Jason.
5
Thank you so much Mister Campbell.
4
Jacob, we send you lots of love on this hard hard day.
310
@moosemaps
My heart goes out to you Jacob -
Thank you for your kindness and generosity in sharing your story. And thank you for your wishes that we as a nation learn to heal. I wish more of us would voice such understanding and aspiration.
6
Thank you for writing such a thoughtful post. I feel like I will never forget your story.
6
I was very moved by your story. Sorry for your compounded loss of both a parent and grandparent as a result of 9/11. You will feel their absence in different ways throughout your lifetime, not always knowing the triggers but knowing you are held up by a community and family, friends who really know you. Thank you for sharing with us your own story here. You honor your family and all affected by the horrors of that infamous day. As a mother of a grown son, I can say your mother would be so proud of how you have grown up to handle this complex history. Wishing you health; continued success at school and love.
9
Your story is so powerful and emotionally wrought. Eighteen years ago I left Queens to start my freshman year at the University of Michigan. Now I have a 17 month old son. And I can tell you that if the unthinkable happened to my family, I would want nothing more than for my son to grow into a thoughtful and reflective young man like yourself.
17
This is a very beautiful article Jacob. Thank you for sharing with us your deeply personal story.
With you, having read what you wrote, I grieve for your beautiful mother who was snatched away from her loving family and her small baby by that horrific act - and I grieve for the brave and caring man who was your grandfather who like many other thousands of brave men and women were killed later having been sickened by what they were exposed to at that time. I hope that you will keep growing into the amazing human being that they wanted you to be - your insight reflected here is remarkable.
O’Neill spending time with you - that is a lovely thing that he did.
7
All I can say is WOW - such a smart and insightful article, this young fellow is a tribute to his family.
4
Thanks for sharing your story. I found it very inspirational!
1
Thanks for this. Well said. I'm sorry for the family members you lost as a result of the attack. Congratulations on having the strength (and support) to not let it defeat you. And all the best to you in the future.
2
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and emotions on this day that we honor the victims and the heroes that tried to save them. Your Mom would’ve been proud.
I’m sure this gets old for you, but as a father I felt the loss so hard for the children that had to bury parents. I always wanted to hug one of you and express my deepest condolences. I still ache for your loss.
Consider this comment my hug. Please continue to inspire people to care about you, your Mom, and your remarkably strong grandparents and family.
6
This is a beautiful testament to your wonderful grandparents who obviously made room for a lot of light and joy to counter the darkness and sorrow that could have overwhelmed your life. You have, indeed, been blessed, even as you have been robbed of your mother. Thank you for taking the time and having the will to share this with so many others who are remembering, remembering, remembering that awful day. You are proof, Jacob, that life goes on, that acts of loving kindness still occur, and that love and hope will abide. Thank you for this.
11
This piece was so beautiful, and so beautifully written.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell.
7
You have found strength in your tragedy. Your sadness has become courage. And you are generous. Thank you for sharing your story. We haven't forgotten.
5
After 9/11, my 100+ member performed Gabriel Faure's hauntingly ethereal "Requiem" in a beautiful old downtown church on the one-year anniversary. (We did this for about 3 or 4 years in a row). I have to say, it's one of the few times, out of the many times I've performed, that tears were flowing down both the audience and choral members' faces.
6
I'm truly sorry for your losses. On that day and since that day so many brave folk have run into danger so others can run out.
While I don't believe the Bush administration knew the gigantic scope of the attack I do believe they were anxiously anticipating a smaller event on American soil so they could execute Cheney and Wolfowitz's new world order. My friends in the Pentagon intelligence community never understood the push to invade Iran when they all considered Iraq to be the problem.
So many years later we haven't put any of those Bush folk behind bars and I fear we never will. Folks like Jacob and the first responders deserve to know the whole story and for what did they sacrifice.
3
Do not forget to vote next year, Mr. Campbell. For your mother, grandfather, and all who have fallen.
11
Jacob Campbell, thank you for the courage to share.
1
This breaks my heart.
Jacob, you have your whole life in front of you. I wish you the strength to get as much joy as you can out of every remaining moment.
5
You have grown into the man that your mother would have dreamt you to be - strong but empathetic, thoughtful yet decisive, loving but independent. Your insightful writing brings to life the lives of all those lost, much like the miniature biographies the New York Times ran for months after the attack. And like with your piece, it still brings tears to read those small obituaries and ponder all the lost hopes and dreams of those 2,977 mercilessly killed on that beautiful sunny morning. As in every year since that fateful day, I wish all survivors, friends, and families peace in your lives.
11
Every decent person on the planet grieved that fateful day. And we continue to grieve. Thank you for showing us that out of adversity comes strength. Godspeed.
6
Jacob - thank you for sharing your deeply personal story. Your journey and evolution are an inspirational wonder. But, beyond that, you have gifted those of us who lived through those terrible days and all that followed - with your gripping and illustrative prose - the ability to share in your catharsis. That is what an artist does. I cried as I read this - for you, your family and the collective grief of the loss of our pre-9/11 world. I hope you will continue to use your unique experience and storytelling skills to produce affecting art.
4
Dear Jacob, what a wonderful legacy of love, strength and understanding you are for your mother. you have probably learned that love never dies and you are always together. i wish i knew you both. blessings for a happy and fruitful life.
1
My condolences for your loss and may God bless you in the years ahead. I feel like I know something of your mother from reading about her, and I'm sure you make her proud.
3
Thank you for writing this, Jacob. And thank you for these words: "Sept. 11 touched everyone in this country. We have all had to heal from that day, and as a nation we have tried to heal from that and all of the horrific tragedies we have seen since."
All. All of us. Every color, nationality, faith, region, city, town, county, state, economic and educational background; every person. We ALL have to heal, not divide. We All have to grow, not diminish. We ALL have to take responsibility for the mistakes we've made, the ways we've pre-judged, the people we've excluded ourselves from.
We ALL have to be part of the future we have been given.
Thank you, Jacob, for calling on ALL of us.
5
Jacob, thank you for sharing your eloquent and moving thoughts with us. The 9/11 events have forever changed the world we live in. Your essay once again reminds us that we need to continue to remember and honor the victims and their families who have been afflicted by this unspeakable act, not only in America but also in the rest of the world. Wishing you all the very best.
5
Thank you, Jacob for so poignantly sharing your story.
I, with about 100 of my neighbors in the East Village/NoHo area, stood in the middle of Third Avenue at 6th Street with the stopped auto traffic, as time itself seemed to have also stopped, and watched as the 2nd plane hit. Though I did not know it at the time, I did know someone who was on one of the floors above the site of impact.
I always feel sad on this day. This is the first year in a while that I don't also feel tremendous anger at the way our politicians have hijacked the events of that day for faux patriotism, and for far worse, the subsequent unnecessary wars. Maybe it's because after 45 years of living in NoHo, I moved to the Hudson Valley. Tonight I will no longer step outside and be confronted with Twin Lights. Just the moon, the stars, and the future.
17
Jacob, I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for writing this piece. I can relate to you in both similar and disparate ways. I lost my mother as a young child, and I am now a mother with young children. I want to share two things with you. One is that you will never stop grieving the loss of your mother; as you touch on, in some ways the grief is just setting in as you enter adulthood. It has helped me in my own grief to know that this is normal. The other is that - and this is just my experience - it is hard to fathom a mother's love when you don't have your mother. Only now *as* a mother can I understand how much my mother loved me and how leaving her child behind would have been the most difficult thing to bear. I share this to reinforce what I hope you know innately - that your mother loved you deeply and that I am sure you were all she thought of in her final moments. She would be proud of you today.
23
Thank you for a tribute to America as we today pay tribute to you and your family. Your loss continues to be ours and will be to the end of our own lives.
8
I was so touched by this story. It was the first time I saw it through the eyes of someone who was not old enough to experience the pain and despair of the day. Your mother would have been so proud of the wonderful human you have become. She is watching over you. Sending love and light.
18
Dear Jacob:
(1) As for the personal story, all sympathies. I'm glad you've worked through it. My wife lost her mother to cancer at 8; never knew her well, in both senses. Mom was always sick, until she wasn't there anymore. It's a hard thing to live with.
Full stop.
Now:
(2) The notion that the years since 9/11/01 have been years of healing for America is just patently false. The worst aspects of society have been mostly regnant, and it was predictable. We've lost large chunks of the Bill of Rights, apparently never to return. We went and killed a million people in a totally unrelated nation-state, by far the worst crime of this century anywhere on earth. Gave rise to Isis, as was predicted.
(3) The assassination of Bin Laden, to say nothing of the many lies about it that followed, was abysmal. Not because "I like Bin Laden," but because that, too, was an indication of how we threw our values over the side post-9/11. By choice.
After WWII's epically greater slaughter -- by literally four orders of magnitude -- somehow, we could insist on trying Nazis and Japanese fascists. Because that's who we were then, at least in that regard.
But Bin Laden we kidnap, shoot, and dump in the drink? That's not who we were then. It *is* who we are now, and the fact that most will simply laud it, if not just presume that's how it should have been, is yet more evidence of how little we've actually healed.
28
@Doug Tarnopol
Don't make this tragedy, and Mr. Campbell's eloquent essay, a platform for politics.
5
@Jonathan Katz It’s a good and moving essay but there are other things that can be said.
The essay itself—the topic; what is stated and omitted; the unconscious or automatic assumptions; and its very appearance in the Times on 9/11 due to editorial decision—all politically relevant.
Not in some necessarily *negative* sense because there’s no need to consider all nouns modified by “political” to denote “bad” or “ungenuine” due to supposed pollution by the modifier.
And of course your response is itself political. We’re dealing with the most politically consequential event in decades, after all.
It matters how these things are framed, especially when that framing is clearly considered by author and many readers alike to be somehow beyond politics. Honestly so, no doubt; all the more reason to highlight what passes unnoticed.
2
"Sept. 11 touched everyone in this country. We have all had to heal from that day, and as a nation we have tried to heal from that and all of the horrific tragedies we have seen since."
Gosh... this is such a conflicting piece for me. I was in 3rd grade on 9/11. I remember seeing it on the television. Some family members were in New York--fortunately, none at the towers; and I remember being picked up early, along with many other students.
Having a parent taken away from you by homicidal maniacs is... I mean, I can't imagine it. No one should have to go through that.
But to say that our country has healed since 9/11 is... wrong. Extremely wrong. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians have died because of our "War on Terror." Our response to 9/11 was absolutely insane. Out of 9/11 came the Patriot Act, for crying out loud.
The legacy of 9/11 is not one of national healing... it is one of manic violence and Orwellian surveillance.
19
Jacob, I was a teacher in Sarasota County on 9/11 with a class of children your age at the time. We saw the whole thing happen in real time (unfortunately, for the children....), Pres. Bush was at another elementary school here while this occurred. Helping children process this event was uncharted territory and certainly made more difficult because we adults could barely comprehend the event ourselves..... I copied and still have, in frames, the pictures my children drew and sent to a fire station in the city. Thank you for your piece here. Know that your burden is shared. We grieve for your losses. Stay well in this life and try to find peace.
7
I'm deeply moved by your piece, Jacob -- and perhaps all the more because you live on the campus where I watched the news that day as a college sophomore, a few miles from the house where I now live with my two young sons. Your story is a gift. Thank you so much for sharing it.
14
You are a wonderful writer. I was adamantly against the war and sickened by the chants of U S A outside the White House when OBL was finally killed. However, reading about the kindness O'Neill showed you and the comfort that he brought during such a hard time reminds me that life is much more nuanced and complicated. If you're this mature and reflective at 18, we can undoubtedly look forward to even deeper wisdom in the years to come. I hope you use your gift to lead others with love. Thank you for this gem.
25
Thank you for having the courage and emotional maturity to write this piece. All Americans should be proud of you and your family.
10
This is a sad history but one that everyone needs to be aware of and sustain. Too many think history can be rewritten or changed or needs to be forgotten - these are the "Statue Movers". Thanks for the reminder.
1
This essay is incredibly beautiful> I hope you will continue to write. i am so sorry for your mother's death. You are someone I am sure she would be proud of.
10
Well done Mr. Campbell. Very well done.
7
Thank you Jacob for sharing your story. Your mother and grandfather would be so proud of you. You are a fine young man and I wish for you a lifetime of happiness as you so deserve it.
And from the mom of a fellow Wolverine, Go Blue!
6
Jacob - as a WTC 9/11 survivor, I find that every year, one thing will trigger my memories. They lie beneath the surface all day, present but pushed away. Your beautiful essay was this year’s trigger and speaks deeply of the love your mother inculcated in you in the short time you had with her. As others have written, she is swelling with love and pride for the man her baby has become. God bless you.
30
Thank you for such a beautifully written article. You have a true talent, and your article moved me to tears. Thank you for sharing your story and the gift of your writing.
5
Every year I get so sad around this time. I cant look at pictures of the towers and my heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the heros that died that day. I cannot fathom nor imagine the pain of actually having lost a loved one. The soring after the attacks, my school planted a row of flowering pear trees. Each one had the name of a lost hero. One of the trees we planted reliably blooms every February, in the depths of winter. It always reminds me of the loved ones who were lost.
3
Beautiful, moving article.
4
Jacob,
You are a true inspiration and you will touch many people far and wide with this essay. You are my new hero.
John S.'s Mom from Pittsburgh
8
This is the first year that Sept. 11 almost slipped past me. It becomes an organic part of you. It cannot possibly be 18 years later. Moving to a different city several years after 9/11 helped.
One aspect that often becomes subsumed into New York's stories is the trauma inflicted on DC and the Pentagon. I also always keep front in my thought a deep concern for the relatives of those who saved the nation by sacrificing themselves in that Shanksville field. Americans and non-Americans alike owe a debt to those Americans on Flight 93. I do hope that one day the Saudis will be finally held accountable.
243
I also pray for that day but it will ever happen unfortunately. The power of the green beats justice in our world.
15
@Maggie Well Maggie since we are unclear about whether it was specifically and only the "Saudi's" as you say I think we are in for a long wait.
Tears are flowing as I read this. Your mom would have been very proud of you. I wish you a wonderful life and I send you lots of love
475
@Lucy Cooke Please, not today. I agree with you, but this isn't the time or place.
82
@Lucy Cooke I see your point but this 19 year old young man wrote of his personal experience. We should simply recieve and honor his feelings. He does not need suggestions on how to best honor his mother.
74
@Lucy Cooke -- Many of us disagreed then and disagree now with the way our country responded to 9/11. But Mr. Campbell bears no responsibility for that whatsoever, and is thoroughly entitled to his own grief and his expression of that grief. It is neither your nor anyone else's place to tell, nor even suggest, how he should respond to his own experience.
Grief, as well as empathy and compassion, is not a zero sum. One can -- or at least should be able to -- extend compassion and empathy both for the loved ones of those who died in the attacks, as well as for those who died or were otherwise harmed by our country's disgraceful response to the event. I sincerely hope you grow enough to be able to understand that.
12
Thank you for sharing your beautiful words Jacob. I am so moved by your story and so deeply sorry for your extraordinary loss. Your mother would be so proud of such an amazing young man, and she lives on through you.
You will do good things in this world, and we honor you.
7
Hi Jacob,
I am an ex-colleague of your mom and was one of the last persons saw your mom on 78th floor in 2 WTC.
Just read your article. I am sure your mom would be very proud of what a thoughtful and articulate young man you have turned into. You can't change the past, but it seems you have made the best out of it. Wish you a long and rewarding future ahead of you.
Best,
Simon Chen
866
@Simon Chen Simon, such loving and kindly words. Thank you for sharing this with not only Jacob but also with all of us.
154
Jacob,
Your mother’s love and your grandparents shine through. We are all with you. So sorry about your grandfather. These memories last forever. Love and peace to you.
8
I cried the entire time I read this essay. As a mother, I would be so proud of my child sharing the love and loss you feel. Thank you for giving us a piece of you on the Anniversary.
15
"I had to find the gifts in sadness to become a stronger person. I hope for the same for America." Wise and profound words, from so young a person! I share your hope, and I admire your resiliency. Keep writing.
16
Thank you so much. I never would have thought of healing in this way. It's taken all the time you've had to be where you are now. And on top of that you've grown into the memory of your mother and this terrible tragedy. Your writing showed me an insight into an experience that I could never have imagined. Somehow I feel richer as a person today...
5
Jacob, you are truly red, white, and blue--but soon will just be "Blue" for awhile your university with the fitting Wolverine mascot. I just knew it was a matter of time before we would hear from the babies of 9/11 and you can still teach us a lot about what matters. "...find the gifts in sadness..." Well, this is a sad article, but with strength imbued too. Looking forward to hearing from you after you've lived the next eighteen years--I hope things are better for you then--all of us then.
10
Beautifully written. You do your family and our university proud.
8
This is so heartfelt and touching. I was on American Airlines Flight #11 from Boston to Los Angeles on 9/10. I shook as I watched the Today Show on the morning of 9/11 when I realized I had missed being on that flight and dying in the attack by 1 day. I can only imagine what it felt like to grow up knowing your Mom, who you never knew, had died there...she would be so proud of the young man you have become.
17
I was one of the late guys that didn't make it to the top of WTC1. It never really leaves you, these traumatic events. They stay with you and change you and they work on you and you don't even know what happened.
I wrote up my experiences a few days after it happened on my personal website. I've never changed it, just like it's stuck in me.
http://www.jasonkendall.com/911.shtml
160
Thank you Jason. I just read your whole post. I’m so sorry for the friends you lost. We visited NYC less than a month after 9/11; trip had been planned for months. It was very sad.
16
@Jason Kendall
Thanks for sharing your story. Your account of the people who jumped is the most heartbreaking one I've read/heard in all these years.
10
@Jason Kendall Jason, your story is as compelling and heartwrenching as Jacob's is. Thank you. Be in peace.
5
God bless you and your grandmother, Jacob. May the memory of your mother, grandfather, and all those we lost be a blessing forever.
6
This one made me cry.
6
Jacob,
I have no words that can adequately express my sympathies with you and with all those who lost loved ones. Just a hug and know that we will never forget. I’m so, so, sorry. 😞
7
Thank you, Jacob! You were very eloquent and brave to share this with us. Your family did right by you, and your mom is smiling down on you from heaven.
I wish you all the best.
8
Jacob- As the father of a 3 1/2 year old son and an 8 month old daughter, I assure you your mother's love for you transcends mortality. Continue to shine the light of love and hope that was handed down from your mother to you. God bless you.
18
Thank you for this beautiful piece, Jacob. It is a gift that you are sharing with so many on this important day.
6
Jacob, thank you for sharing your story, and I'm so sorry for your loss. My son is a sophomore with you at UofM, and so I know how proud your mother would have been to read your words and how very much she would have wished to have shared the last 18 years with you. Her love lives on inside you.
8
Beautifully said.
I am sure Mom would be very proud of you.
I know I am proud for her myself.
So sorry for your loss and may she, and the numerous others lost from that day, rest in peace.
11
Beautiful piece, Jacob. You honor your mother's love for you, and her memory, in ways you will come to understand as time goes on. Grief lingers, love remains.
12
Your mom would be so proud of the excellent writer her son has become. The NY Times has honored us all, those of us who personally lived through 9/11 and those who empathize now, by publishing your moving story. Remain strong and go onward!
27
I'm not really sure how your essay ends ... water in my eyes ... must be those damned seasonal allergies ... 'cause big boys don't cry ...
30
This young writer may be underscoring the most tragic aspect of the 911 program: its cognitive affect on young adults and the new ideological paradigm most are either exposed to, conditioned with, or suffering from: the new iron triangle of terror, race and security. Clearly, millions upon millions of Americans and others, are suffering under a construct explicitly meant to direct the way they think and feel. For his generation, perhaps the most classically heroic act will come from slaying the monster unleashed by the Bush administration, the GOP and its special interests.
1
Jacob, that is one beautiful piece of writing! I am especially touched by your recognition of all the people who helped shape you into the person you are today. Kind, caring and thoughtful. I am sure your mom and all the adults in your life are very proud of you. Here is to wishing you all the best!
22
Jacob,
Thanks for sharing your story. In many ways, your mom did something special. She help create a mature and grateful son. What a legacy. I am sure you represent many children of the loved ones lost on that day, and should remember all the 9/11 families, who represent the best of our country.
12
Thank you for sharing your story. I have cried and reread your article. Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts. Your words and insight make me so proud and give me hope-- I know that your mom is so proud of you. PS. I am a U of M graduate -- have a good year and good luck.
19
How very hard this must have been for your grandparents, to struggle through their own loss and step up to overcome this and raise an emotionally strong young man. And then to suffer the second loss, of your grandfather....
17
Oh Jake, your writing is beautiful, and as I write this, tears are streaming down my face. You are only 3 months younger than my own baby Jake, (who, when I picked him up that afternoon, got such a squeeze) and you have had to deal with grown-up issues since you were a little boy. On this September 11, your mom and your grandpa come alive for all of us. I'm sure you carry the love they had for you with you. Wishing you peace and continued strength, happiness, and healing. You have touched my heart today.
55
Thank you for sharing your experience and I commend you for realizing that none of us go through healing alone.
6
Every time I read about an accident or disaster in which people are killed, I immediately want to know if any of them were parents of young children. It's something I do reflexively since I've had children of my own. When I learn that they do, I picture a little boy or girl, sitting somewhere out there, surrounded by grownups trying to explain why Mom or Dad is never coming home again.
For those of us lucky enough to have avoided such a situation so far, your essay is a comforting reminder that life continues, even amid an inconceivable amount of pain and loss. And that life can even be full and happy, as it sounds like yours is. Thank you for sharing this sense of hope with the rest of us, Jacob, and for honoring the memory of the mother you never got to know.
30
I am so sorry for your loss.
7
Dear Jacob - I am moved to tears by your beautiful essay. My son is your age and I will be mindful about giving him an extra hug today (he lives at home and commutes to a nearby college). This mindfulness is a gift from you. Today's gloriously sunny weather reminds me of 9/11 and the horrible morning spent on telephone calls from suburbs, where I was with my two babies, to my husband, who works in the city. I remember each moment of that first week after the attacks; your essay lets me understand personally how some of the losses endure. Thank you.
22
Jacob, your beautifully written article brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and reflections regarding you and your family’s connection to our nation’s greatest tragedy. As a mother of three and a grandmother of a 10 month old grandson I want you to know how proud your mother is of you. And you can rest assured she knows of your accomplishments. Wishing you all the best. Godspeed
9
Thanks for getting this into the NY Times. There are a lot of media stories out today but this is the one that really makes me stop and think and remember. Your Mom would be proud.
31
From my perspective, this article is an excellent example of the hardship and pain caused by terrible acts of murder and destruction. I thank the author for being able to put his experience and pain in words. It helps us, who have not undergone such loss, to have a better understanding of the remnants of brutal acts of massive killing. It is overwhelming to think in the loss suffered by all of those who are left behind when human life is ripped away as it was in 9/11. I wonder how many articles like these could be written, in America, and also in other countries, in countries where the perpetrators have been Americans. I find that thinking in these terms is one way in which I can convince myself that the time will come when we don't kill one another, and celebrate it.
17
Jacob, your eloquent and poignant essay is a treasure. You mention heroes in this beautiful piece, and there were many. Yet, you are among them. You have lived pain; you have transcended pain. Your maturity and wisdom is beyond your chronological age. Your words have inspired those of us who may not have been physically affected by the horror of 9/11, but were and still are carrying that grief within our hearts and souls. Most especially your life gives hope to those whose loved ones were so needlessly killed 18 years' ago. You are a model of hope, that one can still live a life of fulfillment, inner peace, and, yes, even happiness. Thank you, and please have a good and wonderful life. God speed.
48
Thank you for your beautiful tribute to your mother, who certainly would be very proud of the man you have become, and for your thoughts about our country. I also did my undergraduate work at the University of Michigan, and I hope you enjoy your years in Ann Arbor. It's a wonderful place with so many opportunities. If you haven't discovered the creative writing program, I encourage you to look up its courses and faculty and also to submit your writing to the annual Hopwood Awards. All the best to you.
53
I hope Mr. Aziz reads this.
1
The opinion pieces written by Mr. Campbell and Mr. Aziz are both heartfelt, well written, and important to our national conversation and healing. I would guess the authors have read, and appreciate, each other’s essays. Why are so many NYT readers trying to turn this into a competition?
2
@Joan Kritschgau
Mr. Campbell's essay is truly about the suffering of 9/11 victims.
1
Jacob - The attacks of 9/11 will never be forgotten, either in New York, D.C., Pennsylvania, or across this country. We held you all in our hearts and prayers then, and continue to do so. Even now, 18 years later, my children's school prayed today that the survivors of 9/11 will have courage, hope and peace on this day and forever after. I hope your future is filled with the love and happiness your mother and grandparents would want you to have.
22
I don't think I have ever read anything so powerful, moving or courageous as this article by Jacob Campbell.
I thought the message Rob O'Neill wrote, “To the victims of 9/11 …. in memory of you that I fought" put everything into perspective. Never was there a more solid justification for what he and his team did that night. Thank you Mr. O'Neill.
And thank you Mr. Campbell for sharing a most rich, beautiful, heart breaking story. I can't help but think your mother, Jill Maurer-Campbell and your grandfather, retired Fire Department Capt. Joseph Maurer are so proud as they continue to smile down upon you while forever living in your heart.
Bless you and I wish you the very best in your continued studies while attending the University of Michigan.
Take care of yourself.
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Dear Jacob, thank you for writing about your mom, and about your maturing from infant to adulthood. For as long as people who were alive that day remember what happened, those who died as a result of the attacks, both on the day and because they breathed the air at the site, then she and your grandpa live on. Hold your memories close. None of us will forget.
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Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jacob. Most of us can never know -- or feel -- the full costs of 9/11. You clearly do.
I'm glad you are on the board and involved in the work of making sure we never forget.
10
I am moved beyond words. Thank you for being such an eloquent voice for a newly emerging generation in America. In reading your words, I was filled with deep sadness for the circumstances of your childhood, I was filled with even greater faith in the future. Peace to you on this day of remembrance.
87
Your mother's spirit is beaming with pride today. God bless you and your family.
23
Jacob, Sending condolences to you on the unspeakable loss of your mom (and grandfather) and thanking you for a beautiful, thoughtful piece of writing. I can assure you that your Mom especially would be very proud of the young man you've become.
31
First day of kindergarten and a kid with a grandmother in his mom's place. The piece could have ended there and it still would have delivered a gut wrenching punch. 9/11 does not fade or recede in the national consciousness. There are too many Americans that were emotionally ripped up for anything to fade. The triggers are everywhere: the NYC skyline, the descent of a landing plane, and the Freedom Tower itself. Now, the mental image of a 5 year old boy holding his grandmother's hand joins that spooky list.
48
Thank you, Mr. Campbell.
18
Your mother would be so proud of you!
35
This is a gift to all of us. Grief is complicated.
30
I'm sorry for your loss, Jacob.
But America has not tried to heal from this. We have turned tragedy into a futile and corrosive bitterness, misplaced anger and violence, causing great harm to the world.
14
Fighting back the tears spilling down my face. Your Mom is smiling down on you and is so proud. You fulfilled her dream for you. Stick with your gift for the written word and keep it close as a craft to carry you forward. It will serve you well on your journey. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us.
71
I’m so sorry, Jacob. I have a ten month-old baby. While you may not remember her, I can almost guarantee that you were the last thought in your mother’s mind. I hope you find peace.
845
As the mother of a young man just a little older than you, I guarantee that you were. We all hugged our babies a little tighter that night. I’m so sorry for your loss.
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@EJD
My wife and I have 7 month old son and you are so correct. Soothing and beautifully said.
40
@EJD Thank you for telling this to Jacob. We can all feel their deep connection in thinking of this. Jacob, thank you for this remarkable essay that brings us a new vision of the cost of that day.
9
As a mother of 2 sons I can uneqivocally say that your mother is very proud of you. Keep on keeping the good fight and keep on believing. Thank you.
17
This honored the enormity of our grief today. Feeling that mother’s thoughts-“I cannot die, my baby at home needs me”- brought back that day, on which another mother I knew (Berry Berenson) died after traveling to Boston just to see her grown son play in his rock band. I think of the Pieta in St. Peter’s, the quiet, grieving center of all that muscular triumphalism and parade of conquest by brute force. Mother displays broken body of God and asks silently,”See what you do when you kill? You kill God. Do you really want to go on doing this?”
12
May God bless you and your family.
6
Jacob, Thank you for enabling us to bear witness in such an intimate way. Let us never ever forget.
7
The loss of a loved one is always with you forever. Is it better or worse or how different when the death is part of a much larger tragedy in which you have many known and unknown brothers and sisters in grief?
4
I grieve for the people of New York, and the people caught in unspeakable horror in those towers.
And I grieve for a nation that took international solidarity with our suffering and---rather than show that we are more humane, more just in our actions--- used it to create a smokescreen for a war with an unrelated country. We landed on aircraft carriers with our thumbs in the air, "smoked 'em out of their holes" while hiding the fact that we had no evidence, and devolved into black sites, waterboarding, and the practice of perpetual prison without trial.
As we grieve for those who lost their lives on 9/11, it seems to me that we are also required to stand up for inhumanity, extra-legal rendition, torture and injustice wherever it rears its ugly head.
God bless the people of New York.
God bless the pursuit of peace and the
real and unflinching justice necessary to achieve it.
19
Very touching. Ideologues never understand the innocents their evil rigidity sweeps away.
5
Great piece Jacob. Heartbreaking. Your mom would be proud of your writing, however. I know I am and I don't even know you.
6
I'm choking back tears reading this at work. Jacob - your mother would have been so proud of you.
18
Jacob, I am so sorry for the loss of your mother and grandfather. You are a courageous, introspective young man. Thank you for sharing your search for meaning and understanding with us. We can all learn something from your strength in facing such unspeakable losses at an early age. I know with your level of poise, compassion, and intelligence, you are living a life your mother and grandfather are very proud of. I wish you and your grandmother peace and happiness.
8
Your essay was both deeply moving and well written. I am quite sure that everyone in your family, your mom and your grandfather especially, would be so proud of the young man you've become. I teach Ball State University, and Big Blue is lucky to have you among its undergraduates. My grandfather graduated from Michigan right after World War I, and I'm sure he'd be proud of you too.
15
Jacob: Your loss, like so many others' from that tragic day, is immeasurable and I am truly sorry for your pain. That you could find such love and grace in your heart would certainly make your mom and grandpa proud. This essay is a beautiful tribute to their spirit.
11
Beautiful essay. Thank you for sharing.
8
As I was watching the events of that day unfold with the students I was teaching at that time, I vowed that as long as I had a classroom, I would honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. I have done that with a pretty extensive hero unit every one of the 18 years since so that each class knows about and can honor the sacrifices so many had to make in the face of such evil. I also work to make sure it doesn't result in more prejudice against a religion based on the work of some radicals. We remember your mom, Jacob, and think of how hard it has been for the survivors. I am glad you had your grandparents and that you are coming to terms with the loss. As a mother of four, I feel pretty confidant that your mother would be exceptionally proud of you. Keep making the world a better place.
17
Thank you, Jacob. This was truly touching. I wish you all of the best for your healing and that you for your wishes for all your fellow Americans.
7
Jacob, What a courageous, generous, magnificent young adult you are! Thank you for telling your story.
9
What a beautiful and sad story. I, too grieve for the victims of 9/11 as does this nation.
8
Thank you Jacob for sharing your beautiful story of healing. I am sure that your mother would be so proud of the young man that you have grown in to.
15
Thank you for sharing your life experience with us. Your mother would be proud of you. Best wishes for a happy and rewarding life.
9
Thank you for sharing your story. I wish for you more healing and gifts in the future.
6
When my partner said, a few moments ago, today is September 11, I said 'oh really'. I then got on the computer and opened the NYTimes and read your story. I knew immediately I would be crying and still am. Maybe because it's 9/11 that I haven't felt like doing anything today. Your life story has touched me and I will think of you all day and for every 9/11 hereafter. There is much to enjoy about life as there is to be concerned of. I wish for you many joyful moments throughout your life.
22
Your mother would be so proud of the thoughtful, caring young man you have become. Thank you for allowing us to share in something that is so personal. I am certain everyone in this country will have your back.
17
That was lovely Jacob. Thank you for sharing a bit of you and your family with us.
10
Thank you for sharing your story. My daughter is 10 months old now, and my heart breaks knowing that you lost your mom before you got the chance to know her. I know she must've loved you so much and that she would be proud of the man you've become.
23
Beautiful story. Thank you. Thank you!!
4
A beautiful tribute. Thank you for generously sharing something so personal with us. The world is lucky to have your voice in it, Jacob.
18
I hope that writing this has been healing for you, Jacob. I know it meant a lot to me to read it. I am so sorry for your loss and I wish you a long and happy life. Your mother would have been so proud of you.
63
Dear Jacob,
I am so moved by the words you have used to share your experience. I just walked through the new station and ground zero area and couldn’t stop thinking about you and your mom. I would encourage you to continue to share your story in every capacity you can. Perhaps you could find a way to speak on your experience, write more, or send this piece out to other publications. Despite the pain that you have endured, developing this gift could be healing and as well as lead to some interesting opportunities as you move through college. Your words will really help others as they struggle to make sense of this tragedy and process their emotions. Well done here.
31
I just cried my face off reading this. What a fantastically written, heart-opening story.
133
Jacob, thank you for sharing your story. I am sorry for the loss of your loving mother and grandfather and the pain that has caused you. I truly believe your mother is so proud of the man you have become. May your life ahead be filled with peace and happiness. I wish you all that you wish for.
I hope too that you continue writing. You have a gift.
30
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jacob, but so happy to read about your journey to happiness. I will remember your mom today.
22
Wow! I can't seem to find the right words - a lump in my throat, and aching in my heart. I have a son just slightly younger than you, Jacob. Thank you for telling your story. Take care.
25
Dear Jacob,
I know it must've taken a lot to write your heart-breaking story to share with the rest of us. This is my first year away from the area, having moved 3 months ago.
I feel just as sad as I did that day, but am unable to see NYC or the lights. I'm certain the trips you've made every year show you different things, and bring different memories.
I wish you the best for your future, and I appreciate your sensitivity and grace.
16
Dear Jacob:
On the positive side--reading all the beautiful letters of tribute to you, your mother's memory and to the grandparents who have raised you to be a credit to them and our society at large.
Unfortunately, I end on a more mournful note. As a 85 year old grandmother who has witnessed and experienced my share of sad moments and then to experience the good times, I sincerely hope for you and for my grandchildrens' sake there will be good times once again.
It is hard for me to experience that optimism with the current administration in power now and no guarantee he will be ousted.
16
Jacob, thank you for your generosity in sharing your story. As a mother, I can tell you that yours is proud of you.
48
That was a beautiful story Jacob and I wish you peace in the years to come. Your mother and grandfather would want that for you.
18
Thanks for sharing your story, Jacob. Your mom seemed like an amazing person.
9
Every time we read or hear about a 9/11 family, and their sacrifice, it brings me to tears, we say a prayer for you and wish you well and wish you live a good life. All the best.
30
Dear Jacob, Thank you for telling us your story. I have not forgotten the events of 9/11, as it is ingrained in my memory, as Pearl Harbor and the events of WWII were ingrained in my parents' memory. I wish the best for you, success in school and your future, whatever it may be.
58
Dear Jacob,
Thank you for sharing your moving story with us. Your mom lives on as a beautiful memory for you and your family, and may she continue to. She was an innocent victim of a senseless attack that we will never forget. I hope that you continue to find solace and comfort in your life. The universe has a way of making wrongs right, and I can only wish she does that, somehow, for you.
Sincerely,
Anja
37
Thank you for sharing such a powerful and personal story. I'm deeply moved by and appreciate your honesty and courage.
33
Stunning, beautiful and I am speechless. Thank you.
49
Beautiful and poignant, Jacob. Thank you. You wrote a most important and memorable essay. Wishing you peace.
174
Thank you for bringing us all in just a bit to the world in which the survivors of 9/11 live -- those who were there and lived and those who had loved ones torn from them. It is clear that you've become the young man your mother wanted and expected you to become. Living to the fullest and relishing every joy in your life is the best way to celebrate your mother's and grandfather's lives -- a lesson you have learned at such a young age. Thank you for reminding us of the gift that can come from profound sadness if we chose to embrace it.
84
Your story matters. Your story is a picture of our past that we need to remember. Your family and your mom sound like beautiful people who loved and fought in times of grief and joy. I was 9 watching in front of the tv crying for all the people lost like your mom. I was old enough that I can remember that day vividly, but was too young to know what it meant that people like you would carry this the rest of their lives. I see you. Thank you.
104
A heartbreaking story. I can relate. I lost my own mother at 28 months old, but not like this. I hope you find peace and love in this world.
39
Beautifully written and moved me to tears. Although, that almost always happens on this day. Perhaps some of the victims of 9/11 feel we have forgotten. But know we have not. Most of us remember the horror and confusion of that day vividly and will never forget. Bless you all.
288
Jacob: Thank you for sharing your very personal and touching story. You bring an awareness to all of us that the pain and suffering of this tragic event, as well as the healing, continue to this day. I am glad that you have found some peace and understanding from what no one should ever have to experience. Your grandparents sound remarkable. And you show every sign of being the strong, loving person that your mom and grandparents would have wanted you to be. God bless you.
195
Dear Jake: Your story is the truest testament and example of American spirit i have ever read--and I love to read! May God bless you, your journey and the broken road that has led you through such tough times to reveal the tenderest, most resilient spirit. Love, a Midwestern Mom.
73
Thank you for sharing this incredibly moving and powerful piece. How proud your mother and grandfather must be looking down at you. May their memories be a blessing for you and your grandmother as you continue on your journey. I wish you much love and success. Be well.
120
Such a beautiful and moving piece. Thank you for sharing Jacob.
25
Great story Jake, thanks for sharing. I'm a veteran and i fought for you as well.
111
@Craig Thanks for your service and for fighting for us!
12
@Craig Thank you!
9
Thank you, from all of us.
Jake, thank you for telling us your story. Your grandparents are heroes to carry on and make sure you were raised with love and strength and hope.
I feel like we adults let you down, as every generation does to different degrees, by not achieving peace and understanding among different people. It's true we each have our own lives to live; hopefully more of us will realize that we can do more to the benefit of others.
42
The gifts in sadness. You are the gift. I hope you are able to pick a major in College and work which will be satisfying for you for the many years to come. You have truly lived the best life possible out of the tragedy you endured. Bless you and your grandparents and all those that suffered as a result of the actions that day. What about your father? You did not mention him at all and I hope he is still a part of your life. I hope he is OK. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us and sharing the depth of the loss. We all only get just this one life. I have been embracing the gifts of aging though many struggle with it. I too will try and find the gifts in sadness from now on.
70