September 11th, 2001. The day America went completely silent for the first time. 2,997 lives were lost and a portion of those were many first-responders that include firefighters, EMT's, police officers, and innocent volunteers. Every person you talk to that lived through this day and can remember it (I lived through it but I was only almost 4 years old) knows exactly where they were that day.

My mom was in a state building conducting an interview in an enclosed room when the towers went down. She was a probation officer in Connecticut, only a 2 hour drive from New York City where the attacks were happening. Because she was in an enclosed room, no one contacted her to flee the building and to go home. Hours later when she left the room, she told me the building was a ghost town. She finally was able to turn her phone on only to receive the multiple voice mails from my dad telling her to come home. My mom that day was in a government building two hours away from where one of the most infamous terrorist attacks in American history took place. However, for me this isn't even the scariest thought about what could've happened on 9/11.

My brother has just graduated college from Fitchburg State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He always wanted to follow in my mothers footsteps, however, a college internship changed his path and lead him becoming either a firefighter or an EMT. He is currently undergoing the process to becoming a firefighter/EMT in many cities in the Rhode Island area. If this were 15 years ago and 3 months earlier, there's a chance that maybe he could've gone to New York City to become a firefighter there. Everyone always sees the NYPD and NYFD merchandise so maybe then he would've joined them.

Knowing that if my brother was just 15 years older and applied to the NYFD, there's a chance he would've been one of the firemen that responded to the 9/11 attacks. This article would instead be titled, "My brother; a hero from 15 years ago." Seeing that this is just so real, makes me appreciate everything everyone in uniform does for society. They selflessly put their lives on the line to try and save the lives of complete strangers.

The fact that some athletes still found it in them to kneel during the National Anthem on the 15th anniversary of 9/11 personally hurts. On this day we all come together as a country to honor those who died trying to save thousands of innocent lives and those thousands of innocent lives that couldn't be saved. Yes, everyone has a point that they are trying to make but there is an appropriate time and place. If my brother had been in New York City 15 years ago serving as a firefighter and the government building my mom was in just so happened to be in New York instead of Connecticut, I would've wanted the athletes to stand no matter their case.

Aaron, as you embark on your journey to becoming a hero of your own always remember to stay strong, stay smart, honor your family and don't look back.