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Last year, on the second anniversary of 9/11, I wrote this:

I'd hold you every second ... Say a million I love you ... That's what I'd do for one more day with you ...

I know I said that I wasn't going to post today, but I remembered this song and was compelled to share it and it's lyrics with the rest of you. The song is called "One More Day" by Diamond Rio. The single was released in early 2001, but after the tragedies of 9-11, the song took on a whole new meaning. It summed up the feelings of all the people who lost someone that day. After hearing the song, one is left thinking of the family members who didn't get a chance to say goodbye. The wives who didn't think of kissing their husds before they left for work. And what about the people in those buildings and planes? You have to know in your heart that they were all thinking about their loved ones before they died. Wishing they had just a few minutes to say "I love you" or to hold them. I cannot even imagine the despair in their hearts during that time. I'm sure that they all wished that they could have just one more day with their loved ones.

Life is so uncertain and you never know what's going to happen from day to day. No-one is guaranteed to grow old gracefully. Sometimes people are taken from us without warning and in the most tragic ways. God's will is so much stronger than anything we could ever control or even understand. That's why it's important to tell your significant other, your children, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your friends, that you love them each and every day. Treat every single day like it's your last one on Earth. Cherish those around you. Make the most out of every second you have with them, because you never know what can happen.

My feelings haven't changed since that post. I still believe we should be living each day like it's our last. I still believe that there's some good in every single one of us, and that if we tried, we could all learn to live with one another in peace. On that same note, I also believe that our cause overseas, in Afghanistan and Iraq, is a necessary, justified, and good. I don't believe that Americans should have to die simply because of who we are. We CANNOT forget what happened on this day three years ago. Forgetting that day would mean forgetting all of those women, men, and children who died on those planes and in those buildings. It would mean forgetting all the brave men and women who lost their lives trying to save others. It would mean giving the evil men who orchestrated the attacks the satisfaction of knowing that they've beaten our spirit.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened September 11, 2001. There's not a day that I don't look at my son and pray that it doesn't happen again. But make no mistake, it will happen again. Our enemies hate us for our freedoms, our culture, and our religions. They hate us so much that they're willing to die for their cause. I think that, my friend, that willingness to die, is the only similarity between us and them. Americans, in general, are strong-willed and determined when faced with adversity. Like our enemies, we're also willing to die for our cause and to protect our country and it's people.

So take five minutes out of your day today, turn your tv off, sit down in a quiet place with your family, and remember what happened on 9/11. Talk with your children about the heroes who rushed into those buildings to save others. And don't forget to tell them about the hereos of Flight 93 who refused to go down without a fight. Call your parents and tell them how much you love them. Spend extra time with your spouse and children today. Fly your American flag from your house and car. Today is about remembering what we lost that day, but it's also about what we've gained.

Regardless of where we may or may not stand politically, we're all Americans and that's more important than anything else. Standing together, united as countrymen, and refusing to allow another 9/11 to happen is something we all should be working towards.

God bless you all.

Visit these sites:

9/11 Attack Tribute
A Tribute to the NYC Fire Department
Remember the Blood of Heroes
WTC Tribute
The September 11 Digital Archive
After September 11
Voices Project

Download these songs:

(Songs will be deleted from server in 24 hours. Right Click/Save Target As)

Jo Dee Messina - Bring on the Rain / download / purchase
Alan Jackson - Where Were You / download / purchase
Diamond Rio - One More Day / download / purchase