Reflecting on Our Losses and Keeping Memories Alive

62-year old Florence Cohen paused, shielded her eyes and looked up at the gorgeous sky. A hint of a smile appeared on her weathered face. Not one to be late, Florence shuffled off to work. A short time later Florence Cohen and 2,995 other Americans died.

Eighteen years have passed since that beautiful September morning in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA, became a national nightmare. It was a day that changed the Cohen family and America forever. Today is the day we keep our promise to “Never Forget” the attacks of 9-11-01.

Lost but Not Forgotten

On September 11, 2001, 19 Islamic terrorists linked to al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks on the United States of America. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, eventually causing their stunning collapse.

A third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., while a fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. None of the people on those fated planes survived. But if we look at the last moments of their lives, their final acts, we find inspiration in their humanity and love.

Passenger Brian Sweeney called his wife, Julie. She wasn’t home. He left her a phone message telling her that his plane had been hijacked. He ended his message saying, “if things don’t go well, and it’s not looking good, I want you to know I absolutely love you.”

A Daughter’s Grief

Joyce Cohen Day didn’t receive a voicemail from her mother. She didn’t get to say goodbye to Florence or hear her loving voice one last time. That tiny bit of humanity was stolen from her and thousands of others. So on February 21, 2008, Joyce wrote the following:

She was a very special person, although she probably didn’t know it. In fact, I know that she didn’t because I am her daughter. She was generous to a fault, and I remarked to the New York Times over six years ago that she was a giver in a world of takers. What I remember best about her is how much she sacrificed for me and how she taught me to care about other people. Moreover, she always encouraged me to pursue my dreams of an education and a career, also supporting me fully when I eschewed the trappings of this world in order to become a Christian missionary in the months before her death. She once said that she was happy if I was happy, and she is one of the few people in the world who actually mean that when they say it. I wish to tell her in heaven that I love her, and I’ll see her somewhere down the line.

Those gentle words written by a grieving daughter gives us a glimpse into Florence Cohen. On September 11, 2001 Florence was at work in the offices of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance on the 86th floor of 2 World Trade Center. She likely died quickly and, hopefully, did not suffer physical or emotional pain.

To Prosper and Flourish

There’s not a lot of information about Florence available in the public record. From bits and pieces we know she loved to travel and go to the theater. She lived in New York City proper and, according to one person, she wanted to see “The Producers.”

We can never know her completely, but we can discern from those who did that she was a woman of faith and character. Below is the only public photo of Florence. It’s important that we all remember that the people who died on 9/11 were real people, with families who loved them deeply and unmet dreams.

Florence Cohen

Florence is an English-French name meaning “To prosper or flourish.” Florence Cohen apparently prospered and flourished in generosity, helpfulness and parenting. Her loss belongs to all of us.

R.I.P. Florence Cohen (1938-2001).