Over the decades, I witnessed many changes. Some were for the best and others were not. The September 11 terrorist attacks were one that was not.
The 9/11 attacks were an event that shook the world. Our hearts broke for those who were direct impacted by the four coordinated terrorist attacks and we were devastated.
We knew that this would have a trickle down effect on our business. The attacks led to a decline in tourists who travelled by plane and we couldn’t blame everyone for suddenly feeling more anxious and concerned about being on flight. Because we were too.
The combination of anxiety over the terrorist attacks and the worries about how the event would negatively impact our business led to a tough time for myself as an individual.
At this point, I had a four year old daughter and nearly one year old daughter. My four year old was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes the year before and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was doing enough to protect my daughters and my wife.
I had just taken over the business in 1999 – would I have to give up on the one thing I was most passionate about? Have I failed the business already? What about my family?
The Recovery
It took some time but we managed to recover. I think we all felt the impacts of September 11 in some way. But it taught us to be more kind, more compassionate, more patient and to persevere. Even when things get hard.
I hope that I will remember these things on the days that the impacts of COVID-19 hits harder.
While the business was not always easy and I spent many restless nights and stressful days, I truly felt that this was exactly where I should be, as my 21 year old self once believed.
See our last Blog post here