As we remember all the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11, it is a good way to come together as a country despite everything going on in the world. Everyone has their memory of that terrible day and we all share in the grief of the ones we lost. Everything changed that day and the country is still feeling the effects.
You may or may not know that I am from New York, so this day floods me with memories. I was away at school then and scrambled to reach my family to ensure everyone was safe. Thankfully, everyone was safe and I could breathe a little easier, but not without a heavy heart.
This time of year always brings the anticipation of the hockey season. One thing that will always bring comfort today is the help of sports back in 2001 and currently. The country needed to heal and get some distraction from the horrible events and sports was able to provide that, whether intentionally or not.
The news was flooded with coverage of the events and to see sports back on the television brought some normalcy to the world. It helped remind us that we can get through anything and with the help of sports, many people joined together in comfort, cheering on their favorite teams and players.
I will always be thankful for sports and hockey. No matter what is going on in our lives, our team will always be showing up and providing the distraction of real life. So we will never forget the events of 9/11 and those lost, but we must also cherish the things we have now, whether big or small.
So as the Carolina Hurricanes' players are shuffling into Raleigh and getting back on the ice in their red and black colors, let's not take anything for granted and truly enjoy the Canes. The team may test their patience and enjoyment sometimes but Caniacs know they would be lost without the team.