People proclaimed the office workers, pedestrians, and Emergency Responders as martyrs. They were people who showed up to work on a Tuesday morning. Heroism doesn’t mean dying for your beliefs; it means being willing to die for them, but wanting to live with them.

Later, The Daily Show re-emerged. They were supposed to come back from a 2-week break when the attacks happened just down the street. Friends and colleagues were lost, and even Jon Stewart couldn’t be funny at that time.

When he emerged with a stark, honest portrayal of his own sadness and an offer of hope, I was moved all over again. Finally, my numbness shifted and I rediscovered words.