The Red Bandanna

This morning, as I listened to the accounts of the many remembered victim's of 911, one stood out to me. It is this story of Welles' and his red bandanna that affected me deeply.

So, I decided to pass it on to you.

Welles Crowther was an equity trader in the South Tower on September 11. When the attacks on the World Trade Center began, Welles was no longer an equities trader. He became a firefighter.

Months after the attacks, as pieces of his story came together, the events Welles' heroic acts came to light.

Welles Crowther used the last 76 minutes of his life to save the lives of others using a red bandanna (that he always carried) to cover his nose and mouth as protection against smoke and debris.

I can't help but think that Welles Crowther was sent from God. That his life-long desire to help others, to be a public servant was all part of a bigger plan.

Something in me tells me that Welles' was put here on Earth to save those people. He was exactly where God knew and planned for him to be when evil flew into those towers.

According to the news this morning, he'd been wearing that bandanna since he was a kid. Everyone he loved knew it. I didn't know him, but from what I understand, he carried it everywhere. It was his thing.

Maybe now we know why.

If it weren't for that red bandana, the thing that made him stand out from everyone else, the thing that stood out to all those people he rescued, we might never have known of his sacrifice and heroism. We might never have been inspired by his courage and passion to help others. We might not have had more evidence of good on that fateful day.

Welles story reinforced my faith today. It made me think about the big picture and how important it is to pay attention to the gifts and passions God has placed inside me... inside you... inside everyone.

What if Welles had surpressed his instincts and left the building? What if he had done what "he was told"? What if he hadn't been prepared to act?

Where would those 18 people he saved be today? Would Welles be alive while they perished?

I'm just in awe right now, of his story and the story of so many who stepped up for the good of the whole. Talk about lives with purpose and meaning.

While Welles body isn't with us any longer, his soul is very present. His story... reinforces HIS story. We are here to serve each other... to lift each other up for a greater good. I can only pray that I listen, prepare and am ready for my purpose here on Earth.

His family has set up the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust to honor his life and memory.

May this story and the many stories of courage give us strength, hope and faith on this somber day. My prayers are with the Crowther family and all the families of the victims of 911, the heros of 911 and all those affected by the tragedy.

I pray for the people who had so much evil in their heart, too.
They need it most of all.