9/11 is a day of remembrance for many Americans. Some strive for solidarity and unity—and I wish that’s all it would be—but many people just make it just another opportunity to spew their bigotry and their contempt for people who aren’t like them. They target the wrong people while supporting someone far worse than those they’re demonizing.

I find myself wanting to rant about that last group of people, but not yet. I actually want to take the opportunity to actually remember some stuff first. Some of the happiest times of my life were baked into a very hard time. I know from reading and writing about Tolkien that joy can eventually spring from sorrow.