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Remembering 9.11

It was a defining moment for a generation. We all remember where we were when the towers fell. We all had our worldview fundamentally shifted. Our priorities realigned.

When our family had the opportunity to visit the memorial of United Flight 93 two years ago, I was reminded that in tragedy we can also find hope.

Everyone had a different reaction to 9/11. In my case, my reaction was to decide to have a baby.

We had been talking about it for a while. You know the conversation, “can we afford it?” “should we wait until our careers are more established?” “should we move out of Belltown first?”

When I saw the planes collide with those towers, and began thinking of all the people I knew who lived and worked near ground zero, it was solidified for me.

Life’s too short to wait for the perfect time to do anything. Let’s have a baby. Now.

Fortunately, Johannes agreed.

It was exactly one-year later, to the day, that Julius was born on 9/11/02.

His birth, and his life, will forever be intertwined with those events. The doctors and nurses in the delivery room all commented on the auspicious date of his birth. During his baptism several weeks later, his grandfather (who also happens to be a Lutheran pastor), noted the hope that can come out of tragedy in his message. Julius himself is now very much aware of the connection, and while he may not quite understand the significance of that day on a global scale, he knows that he is forever tied to it.