Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.

Along the way I stopped into a coffee shop. All around me normal, everyday city types were going about their normal, everyday affairs. Lovers were whispering to each other, businessmen were poring over spread sheets,...

The moment I felt my life return was when I took a breath and said to him, “No thank you. Were I as perfect as you are demanding, life would be rather boring.