There are two kinds of remembering. First, there is personal memory—and today it’s especially vivid. I doubt there’s an American over 35 who couldn’t tell you exactly where they were and how they felt on September 11, 2001. But there’s another kind of memory too. And it may be the more important kind to reflect upon as we mark 25 years—a full generation—since that terrible day. When our forefathers exhorted us to “Remember the Alamo” or “Remember Pearl Harbor,” they were talking about this second kind of memory. It wasn’t just about recalling. It was about retelling: one generation passing on its stories and values to the next. There’s a collective sense among many of us that this isn’t happening like it should. It’s not just that younger Americans don’t share the same visceral emotions about 9/11. It’s that too many haven’t grasped its lessons: about the reality of evil, the meaning of heroism—and the contrast between a worldview that produces hijackers and one that produces firefighters running up the stairs of the South Tower. Many of my generation have been complacent in pointing out that contrast to our children. We took it for granted that they’d adopt our love of God and country, without making a concerted effort to transmit it. But if 9/11 showed us anything, it’s that we can’t take America for granted. Western liberty has enemies. And even the most ordinary of us, going about our daily lives, are called upon to defend it. So today, let’s rekindle our memories, our patriotism, and our faith. Remember the fallen and honor the heroes who exemplified the American spirit to the end. And tomorrow, let’s redouble our efforts to pass that spirit on to our children. May we never forget.