On a clear, crisp morning eleven years ago today, I waved goodbye to my son as his school bus pulled away.  He looked out the window and waved his little hand at me in a gesture of "See you later, Mom." As I walked back home on my street, I talked with neighbors and discussed the beauty of the day and what was new in our lives.  Suddenly a neighbor came running out of her house shouting, "The Tower has been hit!  The Tower has been hit!"

Americans' lives have never been the same, and our innocence was gone forever.

Each September 11 at 8:46 AM, our heart skips a beat as we remember.  We remember the lives lost, the families changed forever and a nation gripped in anger, shock, and grief.

We salute every brave hero - every policeman, firefighter, and volunteer - who bravely gave of themselves, some losing their lives, to help others that day.

As a New Jerseyan, a state that lost many of its citizens - neighbors, friends, and family - I thank Mayor Giuliani for holding us together that day and in the days that followed.

My prayers and thoughts are with those we lost that day and all their families and friends. We are with you and will never, ever forget you.