We were all affected by 9/11. That's not news, nor is it news that everyone grieves in different ways. How some people heard the call to service, how they heeded the voice calling them through the aftermath toward a new life, however, is striking and inspiring. As these people look back on how their worlds have changed, they can help us answer the heartrending question, "Where was God?" In "Life Is Too Short: Stories of Transformation and Renewal after 9/11," author and journalist Wendy Stark Healy brings us the personal narratives of disaster responders, case managers, pastors, and those who worked in or near the World Trade Center, revealing how their experiences after 9/11/01 changed their lives for the better-forever. Healy shares the story of the pastor who blessed body parts at Ground Zero and, after healing his own emotional wounds, became a mental health counselor. There's the aspiring actress and temp worker who became a spiritual healer after realizing healing is always possible, even amid unfathomable horror and despair. A Wall Street banker volunteered in an FDNY food tent before going on to run the September 11 Families' Association.
Healy's stories of renewal and faith, of the normal people who used the gifts they were given to make the world a better place, show us the strength and power in helping one another and give us a roadmap for building a future of tolerance and peace.