We Gave it Time
25 years after 9/11
As grievers, we love to dog on hollow condolences. Grief has a way of making us jaded and cynical (no judgement, I self identify as a curmudgeon)—so when someone passes through the receiving line and utters, “Give it time,” our internal dialogue jumps to, “Gag me with a spoon.”
And the truth is, that statement, said in a silo with no backbone, is the worst. Like, okay, Janet, get me a DeLorean then, if you are suggesting that sometime in the future I will magically feel better.
Yet today, on 9/11/2026 that statement—“Give it time”—feels like a challenge. A guiding light that we have followed for 25 years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, which killed and injured thousands of innocent people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
As a collective, we’ve given it time because we had no other choice. Yet what we did with that time, and how we filled it, was intentional—and it’s worth discussing.
Just 10 days after the attack, fans piled into Shea Stadium on September 21st as the Mets faced the Atlanta Braves. And on the 25th of September, two weeks after, the Yankees played their first home game against the Devil Rays since the attacks. Regardless of allegiance, they showed up, bravely facing the future and letting the world know that the United States does not cower in fear. Both Teams pulled a “W.” The example was set, we would continue to show up collectively. Nothing would stop us from playing the game, not even grief.
Grief had a front-row seat, but it didn’t dictate anything other than solidarity.
In that time, we have honored the legacies of those who perished. Dozens of organizations dedicated to helping the families of the fallen have been created. Millions of dollars have been distributed to help send the young children who lost a father or mother that day off to college, to camp, and to grief support.
Houses have been built and reimagined to accommodate the wheelchairs of the first responders who stepped into danger and walked out with a disability. Curriculum has been written, races have been run, and communities have stood together to say, “We look after our own.”
In that time, we have rebuilt—memorials in place, never forgetting what we lost while reimagining a new future for the City. The idea that rebuilding doesn’t mean forgetting was played out in real time.
Twenty-five years later, we are reminded that we gave it time—and we did a lot in that time. Saying their names, listening to their voicemails, and watching the footage still hurts.
Giving it time was our only option, and we understood the assignment.
The next time we feel inclined to utter, “Give it time,” just remember: it doesn’t end there.
We need to give it time, and mourn in that time. We need to give it time, and support each other in that time. We need to give it time, and still face the future.
Because doing that doesn’t mean forgetting. It means honoring, remembering, and collectively healing as a community.
About the Contributor
Kera Sanchez is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Creative Director of Get Griefy Magazine, as well as the leader of the Get Griefy Small Business Collective, connecting grief professionals through collaboration and community. A certified Grief and Resilience Expert, Kera was named Talk Death’s 2025 People’s Choice for Grief Educator of the Year. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and brings her teaching experience into her mission to make grief support bold, colorful, honest, and approachable.
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