Those of us who are old enough remember exactly where we were 22 years ago on September 11th, 2001. It was an event that defined an entire generation, and changed our country forever. I’m guessing you remember where you were and who you were with when you heard we had been attacked.

It was my second day of graduate school in New York City. By the time the smoke cleared at ground zero, I knew I wanted to go into national security. Within a year, I was recruited by the CIA and within my first year at Langley I was sent on my first of three tours in Iraq alongside the military.

Every year, as we remember those we’ve lost and the bravery of our first responders who ran *toward* the danger as the rest of us ran away from it. One of my proudest moments was, many years later, to vote on the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.

But one of the most powerful things that stayed with me from that day was the way we came together.

For the weeks and months after the attack, strangers helped strangers — people of all backgrounds, from all walks of life. In the face of such shock and tragedy, we were all on the same team, even in the traditionally gruff city of New York. The bagpipes as a tribute to the first responders was a constant reminder of what *truly* matters in life, and it kept people treating each other with decency.

For all the devastation of that attack, I am so glad I got to experience life in our country in the months after. We embodied the idea that while we are very different, and we have lots of difficulties, as Americans we love this country and we all want it to be a better place.

The unity in the aftermath of that day seems like a foreign concept in today’s polarized times, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Twenty-two years later, I am reminded again that there have been and will again be moments when we come together, despite our differences. And that true leadership is about bringing people together, not splitting them apart. It’s worth remembering.

Elissa