Maybe That's What September Has Taught Me

September is Suicide Prevention Month, but this September feels different.

Twenty-five years ago, I was 23 years old and just starting my career as a teacher and coach. Then September 11th happened.

I remember the fear. The anger. The sadness. But I also remember what came after. People came together. Strangers helped strangers. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Flags were everywhere. People listened. People cared. For a while, it felt like we remembered something we sometimes forget, that we need each other.

I think, sadly, we've lost some of that along the way.

Inscribed at the 9/11 Memorial are the words, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” We remember because people matter. Twenty-five years later, I think about the people we lost that day. And I think about all the people we've lost since. People who were hurting, people who felt alone, people who didn't know how to ask for help.

Maybe that's what September has taught me.

September reminds us to remember. To remember the people we lost on September 11th. To remember the people we've lost since. To remember that behind every name, every number and every story, there was a person. Someone's son. Someone's daughter. Someone's parent. Someone's friend.

And the truth is, we don't always know what someone else is carrying. Maybe it's the angry kid. The quiet kid. The athlete who suddenly doesn't care. The person who always seems fine.

Sometimes pain doesn't look like pain.

That's why we have to pay attention. We have to ask. We have to listen. And sometimes, we have to ask again.

As teachers and coaches, we are challenged every day to be our best. We are asked to do things others wouldn't. We carry the weight of our students and athletes. Not just their grades. Not just their performance. Not just whether they win or lose. We carry pieces of them.

And maybe that's what 25 years in this profession has taught me most, that people matter. More than the score. More than the record. More than the mistake.

People matter.

September makes us stop and remember that. September 11th taught us that. And maybe we need that reminder now more than ever. We should not wait for another national tragedy to remind us of who we are to one another. 

Coach Fish

9/11 Health & Support Resources

World Trade Center Health Program: Provides medical monitoring and treatment for eligible responders, survivors, and other individuals affected by the 9/11 attacks.

September 11th Families Association: 212-422-3520

Voices of September 11th: 866-505-3911

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988