Thread by @asanderford

20 years ago today, I was woken up as a young night reporter by my colleague and friend @cory_golden, who told me to turn on the TV. I saw the damage of the first tower, in a city and region I visited often because my mom's family called it home.

Then the second plane hit. We all knew war was coming, and there was work to be done. I remember the conversations with first responders, soldiers and airmen from those days. The anger. Fear. And resolve.

But the thing I remember most is the sense of national unity and purpose. I'd grown up in a time of relative prosperity that had given way to political sniping and divide. Then, as now, people wondered if we could come together again as a people.

Americans did. So today, when you question if there's still a American identity, don't. We are a diverse peoole with diverse interests who fight like family. Sometimes families get crazy. But let an outsider threaten, and those fights fade.

We remember loss. And more.

It is fair to question the wisdom of some responses to the attack. Rational people should. On this morning, though, much like two decades ago, I remember seeing my fellow Americans as the brothers and sisters that they are. A people worth grieving, helping and celebrating.