Generation 9/11

(SIGHS) DINA: Um... ♪ Today is September 11th.

It'’s my first time experiencing the day not at home, with the support of my family, with the support of my friends.

RONALD: Just about just woke up.

Um, Today'’s 9/11.

Um, no.

I mean, you know what today is.

It'’s the day my father passed.

But you know, life goes on.

I'’ve got schoolwork to do, you know.

I'’ve got schoolwork to do, I'’ve got Yeah, pretty much that'’s it.

I'’ve just got schoolwork to do.

♪ (BABY COOING) JACQUELINE: Ron, Jr... PAULA: Nicola... ♪ NICK: Actually, I saw a meme last night where it was like, "I'’m so tired of living "through global historic events."

(CHUCKLES) RONALD: Dang, we'’ve been through a lot in recent years, but it just feels like this is life now.

This is how it'’s gonna be.

DINA: I do wanna live through historical events.

I don'’t want to live through things like a pandemic or a terrorist attack, but I'’m so ready to be a part of the positive change.

LUKE: I'’m not gonna set a goal that'’s like, "I will be disappointed in life if I don'’t change "the world, change the entire world" '’cause it'’s probably not gonna happen.

MEGAN: After 9/11, it was definitely kinda this one solid, like, you know, "We need to come together."

And I think now it'’s just completely fragmented.

(CHUCKLES) CLAUDIA: Everything is so skewed and there'’s so much fake news.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) NICK: And now everyone'’s saying, like, "Oh Generation Z "is gonna be the one who'’s gonna change everything," but it'’s almost a little bit of this is your problem now.

But there'’s a lot of problems that are just becoming our problem now.

RONALD: I feel like we'’re gonna be fine.

We'’re not gonna be stable, but we'’ll be fine.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Generation 9/11 was made possible in part by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(TUNING GUITAR) MEGAN: It is Monday, right?

Yeah.

I get so nervous.

(LAUGHING) TEACHER: Good morning.

MEGAN: Hello.

Okay, I gotta ask you something.

I'’m being recorded for a documentary.

Can they record this lesson?

TEACHER: Sure.

What kind of documentary is this?

Um (LAUGHS) It'’s called Generation 9/11.

So, my father was a firefighter, but I never met him.

So, they'’re, like, following up with all the kids now and seeing how we'’re getting on in our 20 years of life.

TEACHER: Wow!

Okay.

You just threw some stuff at me right there.

MEGAN: Yeah, I'’m sorry, I just TEACHER: They'’re there right now?

MEGAN: Yes, they'’re right there.

TEACHER: Hey, hello, hello.

MEGAN: So, A ♪ And then, we can do E on the 5th.

♪ MEGAN: And then E on the 3rd.

TEACHER: Nice, nice.

♪ MEGAN: And then A on the 3rd.

♪ WOMAN 1: Megan.

Hi!

WOMAN 2: Megan'’s first time in the pool!

And big sister Kaitlin'’s there to help.

Hi, Kaitlin.

KAITLIN: Hi.

MEGAN: Yeah!

KAITLIN: Howdy, partner.

(BOTH HUMMING) ♪ WOMAN: There'’s Megan.

MEGAN: So what'’s the actual camera part?

Am I like really... WOMAN: Yeah, you'’re in.

Our view is missing.

We can'’t see what we look like.

WOMAN: There you go.

MEGAN: That'’s crazy.

Hi.

MEGAN: Should I show her my... WOMAN: Sure, why not?

MEGAN: Hey, so I got two new tattoos yesterday.

Liza, my little sister calls herself "Lizard," So, I got a lizard with her name on it.

And then I just impulsively got this, like, title of the Smiths song "Still Ill." The Smiths are my favorite band.

I have the last lines of The Catcher in the Rye, because that'’s my favorite book, which is, "Don'’t ever tell anybody anything.

"If if you do, you start missing everybody."

(PLAYING ACCORDION) ♪ DANIELLE: She gets the musical talent, that part she gets from her father.

MEGAN: Yeah.

♪ DANIELLE: He played the saxophone, the bagpipes, the accordion, guitar, and he taught himself all of it.

WOMAN: I don'’t know, Poppy.

MAN: What the hell is he playing?

(ALL LAUGHING) MEGAN: My mom'’s always like, "Oh, you'’re just like him, you know."

And I feel like we would'’ve gotten along really well with our sense of humor.

I would have liked to have met him, you know.

But, I mean, Kaitlin has memories and stuff.

(SNEEZES) LEE: Bless you.

LEE: Say "Hi, me."

KAITLIN: Hello, me.

LEE: Say, "Hi, Kaitlin."

KAITLIN: Hi, Kaitlin.

DANIELLE: When I met him, he was a New York City police officer.

It'’s Kaitlin and Daddy.

When he had five years on the job, he transferred to the fire department.

Kaitlin and Daddy.

I knew the risks and I was willing to accept that.

It can happen and it does happen, and it wound up happening to be.

♪ (SIREN WAILING) My brother-in-law, his youngest brother had called me to ask if Lee had been working, because he was like, "Some idiot "just crashed into the World Trade Center," and I said, "What?

Oh, my God."

And I said, "Yeah, Lee'’s at work, "but I don'’t think they'’re gonna go in."

And I did hang up and called the firehouse, and I just missed their truck, their truck had just left.

(SIREN WAILING) MEGAN: I don'’t feel the need to know.

I don'’t think I'’m owed any explanation or I don'’t know.

I'’ve never asked.

I'’ve heard things, you know, or just things about, Like Kaitlin was very nervous that day about my dad leaving, which I found interesting because I always think kids have, like, this weird sixth sense.

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ Happy birthday, dear Kaitlin Happy birthday to you ♪ DANIELLE: I do think, in my situation, it was helpful for me that Kaitlin was so young.

And so, her realm of comprehension was very small.

(ALL CHEERING) I said there is the possibility he is in heaven with Grandpa Jim, and she was like, "Okay."

(CHUCKLES) Sometimes, to this day, I still get angry.

It'’s an anger of a life that I had planned out was taken away from me unfairly, and, yeah, I'’m angry about that.

Hi, Megan.

Merry Christmas, Megan!

DANIELLE: How cute!

Let me see, turn it around to the camera.

It'’s a bunny rattle!

MEGAN: I think I'’ve always just accepted it, I don'’t know.

I don'’t remember ever having a time where I was like, really sad or, if I was angry, it was more at the government.

(CHUCKLES) But maybe that'’s just because of all the punk music I was listening to at the time.

But no, I... Just the fact that something like that could happen, why was nobody doing anything before it happened, you know?

♪ RONALD: I think the U.S., it'’s a strong country for sure.

But I think it'’s internally a little bit broken, just a tad bit, you know.

From the outside, looking in, probably, they just see us as probably like, "What are y'’all doing?"

Which is understandable for right now.

It'’s completely understandable, I get it.

JACQUELINE: Say hi, Ronald.

This is his sister, Myejoi.

She just went to the dentist today.

JACQUELINE: Say, hi, guys.

RONALD: Hi guys!

JACQUELINE: I love you.

BOTH: I love you, too!

JACQUELINE: Thank you for loving Mommy.

RONALD: You'’re welcome.

JACQUELINE: Okay... RONALD: I'’m the middle child.

So, you know.

She got the older to worry about, she is a little guinea pig.

Then she'’s got the younger to worry about.

I don'’t even know what to call him.

He'’s just there.

Yeah, he'’s different.

Well, if anything, I'’m just there.

I'’m the middle child.

I just go with the flow pretty much.

TEACHER: Ronald!

RONALD: Yes, sir.

Let'’s see it.

Spinning around over there, put your right foot forward.

JACQUELINE: His strongest trait, for me, would be determination.

He has a lot of that.

(GRUNTS) JACQUELINE: I saw it a lot, especially in sports.

(CHILDREN GRUNTING) JACQUELINE: He likes to be the best.

He likes to be on top.

He likes to be number one.

And he will do whatever he needs to do to get there.

He'’s got a little bit of that from me, but he'’s got a lot of heart.

RONALD: I just think I just liked to hit things.

I quit karate once I got my black belt.

Once I got my black belt, I was like, all right.

I'’m done.

WOMAN: Ronald Milam, Jr. (PEOPLE CHEERING) JACQUELINE: What I'’m most proud of, not only just with Ronald, but with all of my kids, is that they turned out to be really good, decent kids with good morals.

That is beautiful.

'’Cause it'’s not easy being a single mom.

RONALD SR.: Who'’s the man?

JACQUELINE: Who is the man?

RONALD SR.: You know who the man is.

Who'’s the man?

JACQUELINE: Puddin'’ Pan.

RONALD SR.: Puddin'’ Pan?

♪ Sweetie, sweetie, gum drop ♪ Give me a kiss!

Give me a kiss!

Myejoi, give me a kiss!

JACQUELINE: That was a good one.

RONALD: I know he was in the Army, and I know he was a major, I think.

Either that or a general.

Other than that, I don'’t really know much.

You gonna be looking at your daddy.

Your dad in 20 years be showing his stuff.

RONALD SR.: Look now.

Look.

JACQUELINE: Please.

In a couple of years, you'’ll be looking better than me, girl!

RONALD: Oh I don'’t know when they met.

That'’s a good question.

I never asked that question.

That'’s a really good question, though.

I don'’t know when they met.

But I know they met in the military, surprise.

JACQUELINE: Seoul, Korea.

I was stationed there.

That'’s where I met him in 1998.

He was Army and I was Air Force.

RONALD SR.: Let'’s put the camera on you.

JACQUELINE: Let me pull my hair up.

RONALD SR.: No, see.

See, look at that.

Look.

JACQUELINE: Let me pull my hair up.

RONALD SR.: No.

It'’s too late.

Look, that'’s her for real, right there.

(EXCLAIMING) JACQUELINE: My daughter walks just like him.

I didn'’t even have to see his face.

It'’s the way he walked and I knew it was him.

Him, Ronald has the same demeanor.

Always nonchalant about stuff.

Nothing stresses him out, ever.

And that'’s how his dad was.

Blows my mind.

RONALD: That'’s my dad playing golf, he was a big golfer.

That'’s what my mom told me.

And then, Michelle Obama, of course.

She'’s a huge fan, huge fan of the Obama family.

WOMAN: Is that a candle?

RONALD: Yeah.

She'’ll get anything with their faces on it.

That'’s the American flag, obviously.

Folded the right way, I think.

They sent that to my mom after 9/11 or something like that.

But, that'’s what I think.

'’Cause I remember her telling me something about that.

JACQUELINE: I was five months pregnant with Ronald, five months.

I was working in the Pentagon.

I was working in Personnel.

He was on the second floor, I think E ring.

I was on the fourth floor, D ring.

And he was working in Manpower Reserve Affairs for the Army.

That'’s what he was doing.

RONALD: Everybody'’s seen the videos on YouTube, on documentaries and stuff like that, I feel like I don'’t need to know any more.

I just need to know what basically happened and there it is.

If it'’s in the past, you can'’t really change it.

You really just gotta keep going on.

'’Cause, I mean, life doesn'’t stop for anybody.

And time doesn'’t stop, either.

So, you just gotta keep going.

(JACQUELINE GASPS) JACQUELINE: No, Ron, Jr.!

Do not eat the book, honey.

Where'’s your daddy?

Right there on the table.

He'’s on the table?

MYEJOI: Yeah.

JACQUELINE: He'’s there in the picture.

Daddy'’s up there.

We see Daddy.

Daddy loves you?

MYEJOI: Yes.

I want your water.

RONALD: You see people with their fathers, and so you miss out on that bond that other people have.

He'’s not physically here.

So, I guess it'’s really hard to make a relationship with nothing.

♪ DINA: I just lofted my bed.

Here, ready?

This, I did this!

I did it by myself, and now I'’m sweating bullets.

This is a piece, this is a piece, this is a piece.

Wow!

Also... WOMAN: Set?

Go.

Come on.

I was not expecting that, I must say.

That'’s why you took the gummy bears off?

SUSAN: She didn'’t mention it to you but she'’s wearing this shirt because it was her dad'’s.

It was Dave'’s.

WOMAN: Aww DINA: And it'’s super fashionable.

So, that'’s a plus.

(BOTH LAUGHING) SUSAN: Does he look like Ben there?

Or you?

DINA: I don'’t think he looks Ben.

He looks like Papu here.

DINA: Wait, is that him?

SUSAN: Of course.

DINA: Looks like Papu here.

SUSAN: What?

It always struck us how little Ben, Molly and Dina talked about their dad or asked about him.

They never asked about 9/11.

Ever.

And I think the rest of the world knew what happened, even their friends or whatever, way before they ever knew.

And a therapist once told us never to lie, which I wouldn'’t have.

But they were so little, not to share details, specifics, until they ask.

And they never asked!

I'’m still waiting!

DINA: What?

SUSAN: I'’m just kidding.

DINA: I'’ve asked things.

I remember I asked how he was buried because I was so confused.

SUSAN: What did I say?

DINA: That there were, like, remains or something.

With DNA tests and stuff.

SUSAN: This is baby Retik, number... What is it?

23547.

And here'’s David, he'’s gonna pick him up.

This is our first time out of the nursery.

And here'’s Dada, with baby Retik, Benjamin.

DAVID: How can you beat this?

SUSAN: Just for the record, Dave was so awesome during the whole thing.

DAVID: How can you beat this?

SUSAN: He'’s the best coach, he'’s gonna make the best father in the whole wide world, I know that.

Look at those little lips.

All right.

I think I'’m gonna try and feed him, so I'’m gonna turn off for a minute.

DAVID: Love you, Mommy!

SUSAN: Love you!

DAVID: Number two.

The players... Meet the players.

Beautiful wife, Susan, Daddy to be, and there is the baby.

SUSAN: So, I'’ll tell you a funny story.

When I found out that I was pregnant with Dina, Ben was four and Molly was two, and I remember, I told Dave, and then I went to the bathroom, like one foot away, and I came out of the bathroom, and I said, "And we shouldn'’t tell Ben and Molly yet because "we never know what'’s gonna happen."

It was so early."

And he goes (GASPS) He had already told them.

Within like 90 seconds!

I just thought that was very funny.

He was just very excited, missy, that you were coming along.

DINA: Knowing the absolute least about him, it'’s hard to even come up with the questions, because what do I not know?

Like, how do I know what I don'’t know?

I don'’t have memories to think of him with.

It'’s more about the idea of who he was.

SUSAN: And there'’s two.

DAVID: Saved.

(APPLAUSE) SUSAN: The last night I slept beside my husband, Dave, I barely noticed he was there.

He had come in late from a work dinner, and had an early business trip the next morning.

And at seven months pregnant, I was basically exhausted all the time.

So, when he left, I was sound asleep.

DINA: I love learning about it through my mom, like, through her online presence.

I mean, I think it can be easier than going to her in person.

SUSAN: After dropping the kids at preschool, I turned off the kids'’ music and put on NPR.

They were saying something about a plane that had crashed in New York.

DINA: I did learn, actually, from my mom'’s TED Talk that one of the terrorists was actually just sitting a seat or two away from my dad.

SUSAN: What if Mohammed Atta had looked at Dave, and instead of seeing an abstract enemy, had seen a father?

DINA: I was surprised that I hadn'’t known that before.

Because that seems like a big detail.

♪ CLAUDIA: I know when I was younger, I would sit down with his picture and talk to him about my day, or if I was struggling with something, I would talk to him about it.

I still do that sometimes now.

I always wondered why.

I mean, I even still do to today, even though I know it was just an attack on the United States.

I just always wonder why that specific day did he have to go to work?

Not why did it happen?

(CHOKING UP) I don'’t know.

I'’m sorry.

(SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) CLAUDIA: This is a student athlete award.

I think my greatest achievement that I did for cheering in high school.

I'’m very proud of myself for that.

I won a scholarship award because of my GPA.

I won this award the same time I won this one.

This one was my very first award I won.

It was my freshman year.

My diploma is right here.

So everything that I have up here are the only awards I'’ve ever won.

So, I really showcase them because it makes me proud of myself.

I have a card that I wrote him for his birthday.

I don'’t remember how old I was.

I didn'’t even draw a rainbow correctly.

So, I'’m guessing I was really young.

And I'’ve had this since I was 10.

So, about nine years now.

It'’s been sitting in each of my rooms.

My mom always made sure we had pictures of him.

We have the folded flag of honor, and underneath it, we have some ashes from the site of the towers.

Almost every day, I at least make one trip to just look up, and go back to my room with whatever I'’m doing.

(SPEAKING IN POLISH) CLAUDIA: I know that when they met, my mom was 14.

He took her under his wing and showed her around, and they got married when she was 18.

And then, she had Alex when she was 20.

NORBERT: Alexandra!

Alexandra!

(SPEAKING IN POLISH) URSULA: I'’ve always wanted to make sure that they know who he was, and where he came from, and how very ecstatic he was to be a dad.

If anybody told you the day before that something like this is possible to happen, you would just laugh at them because this is the best country in the whole wide world, and we'’re all safe and secure, and all of a sudden, the whole world changes.

CLAUDIA: From what I know, he worked for a painting company or a contracting company of some sort.

And he would put up wallpapers.

URSULA: He wasn'’t there, ever, except for that one day.

He worked in different places.

He just happened to go there to fix something on 104th floor of the north tower.

Because the office hours begin at 9:00, he was supposed to be out of there by 9:00.

I just totally tuned out anything and everything.

I was just waiting for him to come through the door for a very long time.

(NORBERT SPEAKING IN POLISH) ♪ CLAUDIA: It definitely angers me a little bit, '’cause he was supposed to be in and out really fast.

It just angers me how everything works.

But my mom always told me everything happens for a reason.

I just don'’t know what that reason is.

♪ (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (FOOT STOMPING) (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) FARES: Friends in high school.

I was the cameraman, even in high school, with my phone.

Here is in Amman.

When I came to the United States in 2017, I was like excited and happy.

Wow, I'’m in airport.

It was first time.

Here'’s first time in America, in Times Square.

Too much people, I don'’t like it.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MALEK: He came here when he was, like, two years old, and they grew up in Brooklyn.

He worked hard, that'’s what I heard.

I know that he was an audio and visual manager at the Marriott Hotel.

So this is something special.

This is my father'’s wedding ring.

Yeah, I always keep it with me.

Yeah, I used to wear it, but I think I have bigger hands than my father.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ NICK: Computers have always been a big fascination of mine.

I'’ve always wondered how they ticked.

I remember, back when I was a kid, we had this old Dell laptop, I think like an Inspiron, I'’m talking, like, 2003 laptop.

PAULA: He is exactly like his father.

NICK: Yeah PAULA: In many ways.

NICK: Yeah, you say that all the time.

(CHATTERING INDISTINCT) PAULA: I'’m thinking, you guys didn'’t even meet.

How is that possible, you know?

NICK: I know that he started his work at Deutsche Bank over in Germany, and he had been doing it since, I think, their high school, eventually, I guess made his way up and landed himself in New York.

I guess it'’s like something to live up to.

You know, being someone so successful at the age of 27.

♪ ♪ PAULA: Do you ever wonder where that water goes?

NICK: Probably right back up.

PAULA: There'’s got to be a system to recycle it.

NICK: Yeah.

PAULA: Like?

NICK: The infinity.

PAULA: Energy?

NICK: Yeah.

PAULA: It was my really big job in the United States, the dream job on Wall Street kind of thing, you know.

So I was really proud of it, coming here with nothing.

I was actually on the 74th floor of the tower.

I was supposed to be on the 74th floor.

I had morning sickness.

I was so sick that morning.

The moment I walked out, the plane went in.

Within seconds, the whole sky lost its blue.

There were just pieces, fire, things falling out of the sky like rain.

He wasn'’t supposed to be there.

One of his colleagues couldn'’t make it to that meeting, it was a group, it was a team.

So he said, "I'’ll go."

So at that point, I didn'’t know.

And when I got home there were several messages from him.

And just a few minutes before the plane hit this building, he had a message saying I'’m on the 94th floor of the Twin Tower.

NICK: We talk about it a little bit.

I don'’t ever ask a lot because I know it'’s a lot.

And I guess it'’s just something that almost feels like it'’s almost more your history than my history.

PAULA: Yeah.

NICK: You know?

PAULA: I think as you get older, it becomes your history more, not because you were there part of it, living it, but because we'’re so connected.

You know how they say that there is like this trauma starts at conception?

And everything that goes on in the womb that the child can feel, I was afraid for that.

You know, I wanted to be nurturing, I didn'’t want to be a wreck, you know?

I just did not want you to be inheriting, soaking that all up.

So, yeah.

NICK: Thank you.

(BOTH CHUCKLING) PAULA: Seriously.

NICK: Happy Mother'’s Day.

PAULA: Happy Mother'’s Day, yes, every day.

LARRY: Nancy?

Nancy, do you hear me okay?

NANCY: Yes, I can.

LARRY: Just call me Larry and we'’ll be fine, and thank you, Nancy.

Tonight, the Taliban says it won'’t hand over Osama Bin Laden despite President Bush'’s ultimatum.

Meanwhile, the US military readies for an unprecedented fight.

And then later, Major Kip Taylor was one of those who died in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

His wife Nancy is eight and a half months pregnant with their second child.

LUKE: I hear that my dad, he was a really hard worker.

The organization he was a part of, the Delta Force, it is a very selective group of individuals who are in the Army Special Forces and they do a lot of work undercover, not undercover, top secret stuff.

It'’s definitely not an easy organization to get into and it takes a certain kind of person, someone who'’s really motivated and driven and tough.

Like, when you grow up as a kid and you'’re like, that'’s the guy I wanna be, it'’s like them.

Cheese!

Cheese!

DONNA: Okay, one more time, look here.

LUKE: Cheese!

(LAUGHING) I was usually the center of most big family events, from what I remember.

DEAN: Yeah, that'’s how I remember it, too.

DONNA: Come on, Luke, ride your pony.

There you go!

(LAUGHTER) LUKE: I remember this picture, for example.

I don'’t know if you can see that, but it'’s been in our house.

DONNA: She needs to see it.

LUKE: You wanna see it again?

Sorry.

It'’s been in our house, me and my brother on this stuffed horse, I think it was like a rocking horse or something.

MAN: Ta-daa CHILD: Ow!

MAN: No, no, no.

LUKE: Mental toughness and just, I think, physical toughness in general is something my parents really wanted to instill in my brother and I.

MAN: Luke, what happens if we stab people with the sword?

LUKE: It'’s painted.

MAN: No... WOMAN: It'’s a safety issue.

MAN: It'’s a safety violation.

But what happens?

You lose the sword, right?

LUKE: I think feeling sorry for yourself is something my parents have both taught us just isn'’t gonna get you anywhere in life.

LARRY: We now welcome to Larry King Live, Nancy Taylor.

When did you learn, Nancy, that Kip was dead?

NANCY: Well, I learned officially yesterday.

My casualty assistance officer and a chaplain showed up at the house, but I knew in advance.

They had told my brother-in-law, my husband'’s brother, Dean, that they were gonna come to the house, and I knew it was just a matter of time.

DEAN: The whole country is in this massive turmoil, bracing itself for the beginning of the global war on terrorism.

Yet, for our family, it was like a laser beam had gone right through us.

LARRY: You ran into President Bush, is that right?

Last Monday.

When he went to the Pentagon.

NANCY: That'’s right.

I showed him this picture of Kip.

I pulled it out of my purse.

I took a few steps towards him.

I said, President Bush, this is my husband, Kip Taylor who was at the Pentagon last Tuesday and has not been found.

And he said the most important thing for me to do was to bring a healthy baby into the world.

And he turned towards my husband'’s brother and his wife and told them that they needed to help me.

And he said that they were gonna take care of this.

LARRY: Thank you, Nancy.

The United States military is on the move.

American men and women heading into harm'’s way.

Our closing images tonight are set to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, sung by the US Navy Sea Chanters one week ago at a memorial service in Washington'’s National Cathedral.

♪ (Choir singing the Battle Hymn of the Repbulic) LUKE: I don'’t really think I'’ve ever felt angry from the events.

I feel motivated to make a difference and to prevent that from happening again, but I don'’t necessarily feel angry by it.

It'’s tough and it'’s sad, but I think just trying to use my logic and, I guess, the facts to control my thoughts over my emotions has always been my goal and I think it allows me to I guess be less sad in life.

♪ CHILD: Hello.

(inaudible) Let'’s have a butterfly fight.

(swishing sounds) RONALD: Earliest memories.

Um JACQUELINE: Where you going, Ronald?

RONALD: What?

JACQUELINE: There goes your sister.

RONALD: Kindergarten... JACQUELINE: Momma didn'’t teach you how to ride the bike?

RONALD: Nope.

JACQUELINE: Who taught you how to ride it?

RONALD: I remember recess.

JACQUELINE: You just learned all by yourself?

RONALD: Yep.

JACQUELINE: You did not!

RONALD: I remember all my teachers coming up.

School, school, school.

I love school!

MEGAN: I remember in preschool, I wore like this leather vest one day, and this kid pushed me and I turned around and put my fist up, and I was like, "Don'’t touch me again."

So maybe that set the precedent for no one talking to me, but I don'’t know.

MAN: How old are you?

Two?

DINA: Five.

MAN: Three?

DINA: Five.

MAN: Four DINA: Five.

MAN: Oh, five.

DINA: I do remember being in the laundry room of our old house, the discussion was something along the lines of Donald, my stepdad, coming into our life.

I just have a very clear memory of, "Who'’s the father figure?"

kind of thing.

Apparently I was the first one to call him "Dad."

I do not remember that.

When I was in kindergarten, that'’s when Rebecca was born.

I was very excited for Rebecca to come.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER) NICK: I remember Mom telling me, "You'’re going to have a sibling!"

I remember when I was holding her, I was just really anxious.

One of our sides of the family had a dog very similar to Yogi.

He was this tiny little thing and I just remember dropping him because I was so afraid, I was so anxious, and I just dropped him and I was like, I can'’t drop a baby, you know.

CLAUDIA: I just remember when Emily was born and Alex and I would argue about who would get to hold her and play with her.

What Alex and I did most of the time, though, is actually steal her toys.

And then we'’d have to give them to her, annoyingly.

LIZA: It smells good!

MEGAN: Ugh, I don'’t think it does!

It'’s weird to think about, if one thing didn'’t happen, the next thing wouldn'’t have happened.

Obviously, no one wanted 9/11 to happen.

But when my mom got remarried and they had Liza, it'’s so weird '’cause I can'’t imagine my life without Liza.

She'’s like my best friend.

So I try not to think about it, '’cause then it'’s kind of like this big universal question of, "Why am I here?"

And no one wants to think about that.

DEAN: Do you remember when you and Nancy and Dean flew to Colorado from Washington, and then you fell in the pond in the backyard?

Do you remember that?

LUKE: No DEAN: No, you don'’t.

I thought... That was so traumatic... DONNA: You remember it.

DEAN: I remember it.

DONNA: Oh, gosh.

DEAN: I built the pond he'’s gonna fall in and drown.

Great.

(DONNA LAUGHING) This is almost done, Dean.

That'’s really done.

NANCY: And who'’s over here?

There'’s the little peapod!

And Aunt Donna.

DEAN: And Aunt Donna.

(COOING) DONNA: Just as a baby, he did cry.

I will say he cried an awful lot.

I don'’t know, what does trauma do?

I mean, what does he know about the family dynamics in the house?

You sense stress and tension, I'’m sure.

(CRYING) LUKE: There wasn'’t a time where they sat us down and they said, "Ok we'’re tell you about your backstory.

You'’re old enough to know now."

It wasn'’t really like that.

MAN: Hey, buddy.

There'’s your Uncle Dean.

DEAN: We decided very early on that we were going to answer every question they had very directly, very honestly.

MAN: Give Mommy a hug.

NANCY: Come here.

Give Mommy a hug.

MAN: Go give Mommy a hug.

Go give Mommy a hug.

(SQUEALING) LUKE: They'’re always referred to as our parents in heaven, our mom and dad in heaven.

And I guess I was like, okay, that means they passed away.

NANCY: Mommy loves you.

Pattycake, pattycake, baker'’s man.

LUKE: At what point did it actually click that she'’s not going to live?

DONNA: Oh... DEAN: I was still on active duty in the Army and was going back and forth to Washington and I happened to be there when she went through a whole series of tests.

Five or six doctors came in and talked to Nancy, and Nancy was very matter of fact about it, and then they walked out.

I just looked at her and she said, "Are you ready to be a father?

"It'’s not whether it'’s gonna happen, "it'’s a matter of time."

And she was without emotion.

DONNA: Right.

DEAN: And it completely took my breath away.

I could not even grasp what she was saying.

DONNA: Uh huh.

DEAN: Yeah, that was Feb 4th, 2002.

So, what, four months after you were born?

NANCY: You want us to hug you?

(CHUCKLING) LUKE: I think, now that I'’m older, I started to really understand, especially what my mom did for us while she was fighting cancer.

She was very selfless and she spent so much time getting everyone else ready.

And preparing a life for Dean and I that was gonna be great.

And it has been great.

LUKE: Nancy passed away November 18th.

DEAN: Yeah.

And we were there almost a month afterwards, got the house ready for sale.

DONNA: Uh huh.

DEAN: Then we jumped in Nancy'’s minivan with Gunner, and you were sick.

LUKE: I thought I threw up on you.

DONNA: Yep, but that was from McDonalds.

You learn from trial and error.

As parents, you'’re like, "Well, let'’s just feed '’em.

"We'’ll just stop at McDonalds."

LUKE: He'’s crying, let'’s get him some junk food!

(TOY TRAIN BEEPING) DEAN: Hey, Luke, that'’s from Alma.

LUKE: People sent us so many gifts those first couple of years.

I think they felt bad for, honestly, they felt bad for us.

My parents didn'’t really know what a kids played with '’cause they didn'’t have kids and so I think a lot of other people felt that they needed to contribute or they wanted to contribute, which, obviously, I'’m very, very grateful for.

But, Christmas was a whole four-five-hour opening gift process.

DEAN: Whoa!

LUKE: My dad would probably get pretty frustrated, maybe take a nap in the middle.

DONNA: Hey, guys, here'’s Papa opening a gift for him.

LUKE: I never really understood I hate to say it this way.

I sound very, I feel bad saying it this way, but, I never understood that most kids didn'’t have it like that, really.

And now, looking back, realize how spoiled I was and how lucky and fortunate I was.

And, looking back, I realized how many people truly just stepped up.

DEAN: Let me see, Luke, hold it up.

Show Margee, say thank you.

LUKE: Thank you, Margee.

LUKE: Looking back, at the time, I wish I appreciated it more, but I really didn'’t, if I'’m being honest.

I just was a, you know, a four-five-six-year-old kid opening his Christmas presents.

(FOOTSTEPS) ♪ REPORTER: In the wake of 9/11, 105 babies were born to the widows of the victims.

Here is a glimpse of two families.

RONALD: I grew up being a 9/11 kid, as you know.

They would just bring you places and stuff like that.

We'’d have these shoots and stuff to do for different things.

JACQUELINE: Five years later, is happiness possible?

Yeah.

You know, is there a vacant hole in my life?

Yes, but I got two beautiful babies that he'’s left me with.

I got parts of him every day.

We'’ve named my son Ron, Jr., I call his name all day long, so that'’s a wonderful thing I'’m loving...

I still have him.

RONALD: I think I remember that, actually.

It was just light.

That'’s what I remember.

But I do remember playing with the toys, though.

Wow.

Okay, yeah, I remember that.

(SEAGULLS CAWING) DINA: Our family'’s story was just we were the 9/11 family.

REPORTER: Since September 11th, Susan Retik has been inspired by a passage from a book on grief.

DINA: I think growing up as the 9/11 family, I just, it was all normal, like that my mom was doing all these things... Or not normal, but expected.

SUSAN: We didn'’t choose to be 9/11 widows.

But with that title comes a voice.

DINA: She really took in all the love and support that she received and then worked hard to spread that.

REPORTER: The two women started raising money with bicycle rides from Ground Zero to their homes near Boston to help other widows like them.

Not here, but in Afghanistan, where some lost husbands in the US-led bombings.

DINA: She recognized the crazy differences between how she was treated versus how Afghan widows are treated.

SUSAN: They had so little over there.

When we did start to hear about anti-Muslim rhetoric and all this stuff of the "Us against them," which happened really very early on here in the United States, it just didn'’t feel right to me.

DINA: Having my mom as a role model has been incredible.

Instead of spreading hate, it was spreading love, and I think that was so important for me to learn.

(APPLAUSE) OBAMA: Yes, we can.

(CROWD CHANTING) America, we have come so far.

RONALD: I remember he was the first Black president, but other than that, I didn'’t really care, to be honest.

That'’s gonna sound bad, but I was seven, so give me leeway.

Like, I don'’t like politics.

(PEOPLE CHEERING) NICK: I had no idea we even had a president because politics was a foreign concept to eight-year-old Nico or six year old, I think, at that point.

(PEOPLE CHEERING) LUKE: I understood that it was a big deal but I never really got why it was a big deal.

Like, my parents, for example, remember the N-word being used in America.

They remember, still, African Americans were looked at as inferior.

And I think America'’s come a long, long way since then.

I don'’t think that happens anymore, which is awesome.

NICK: You see, the whole timeline on the walls and whatever when you'’re in the classroom and you'’re like, White, white, white, white, white, white, white, ahhh, that'’s why he'’s relevant.

MEGAN: I remember we were put into the library to watch, I think the inauguration.

They were just like, "This is history."

I just remember being like, okay.

I was like, I'’m bored.

(LAUGHS) '’Cause I was like, we'’re in the library.

Why aren'’t we picking up books?

But whatever.

Hello.

This is my little kitchen table.

There'’s my guitars.

This is a TV in case you didn'’t know.

And yeah, just some little things.

This is my desk.

It moves all the time.

The kitchen.

Literally nothing to show except the little tiny setup here.

Sid Vicious here, from the Sex Pistols.

I got my 15th piercing today.

My mom doesn'’t know about this one yet, so if you'’re finding out now, "Hi, Mom!"

Over here is my bookshelf.

I think it was second grade.

We had this elementary school publishing company.

I started writing a lot of stories '’cause I was like, "I'’ll get '’em published."

Like, I couldn'’t have pets because I was allergic and my mom was allergic and stuff, but um...

So I was like, what could be a pet that I could have, and so that'’s how I wrote this book, The Little Rock, because I was like, I'’ll have a pet rock, which is kind of so sad.

But... (LAUGHING) RONALD: What'’s up?

The time is currently, like probably 2:30 in the morning, and I'’m just working out, ♪ Ooh!

Cut that, cut that, or we'’ll just speed that up.

That'’s pretty much what I'’ve always done, is just sports, pretty much my whole life.

It just made me into who I am, basically.

'’Cause I guess I just like being physical.

Perspiration.

I did track and field when I was in elementary school.

JACQUELINE: He did make it to the Junior Olympics, '’cause I remember because I drove all the way to Detroit from Texas to get us there.

I was just in the stands screaming for him to be first.

Just pushing on through.

I knew he was always going to give it his all.

RONALD: Them kids are fast though, right?

JACQUELINE: Yeah.

RONALD: Them kids were fast.

JACQUELINE: Fast.

Yeah.

DONNA: Who'’s that?

LUKE: Hello.

DONNA: Hello!

Luke'’s trying to finish up his casserole.

DEAN: Three more bites from lunch, okay?

DONNA: And where'’s Gungoo?

DEAN: Luke, DONNA: Where'’s Gungoo?

DEAN: That'’s not funny.

Not funny at all.

(DONNA LAUGHING) LUKE: Through elementary school I was the biggest ladies'’ man, I'’m not gonna lie.

I have pictures of girls, like there'’s just me with six girls.

It was epic.

Girls fought over me and stuff.

They'’d pinch you and hurt you '’cause they liked you.

It was really weird.

Confusing times for a young Luke.

Really confusing times, but, yeah, I hate to say it, but I kind of was a ladies'’ man in children'’s school.

NICK: My friend introduced me to Roblox.

'’Cause this was like...

I was maybe eight years old.

And then he introduced me to Minecraft, and then it took off from there.

So this is my desk.

I actually built this computer.

You can see a little bit into it if you'’re curious.

And then eventually, I started getting interested in learning about, oh, how can I play better?

And then one thing led to another, and now I'’m a CS major!

FARES: My uncle and my brother they were playing a game in Facebook called Happy Farm.

I said, "I want to play."

At this time, it was everyone playing.

Just sitting and playing on their phone.

♪ CLAUDIA: You didn'’t read my first text and I was like, "Oh, God, she better not forget."

So what did you do in PE today?

EMILY: Passed batons.

CLAUDIA: Oh, like relay?

EMILY: No.

Not even.

No, all we did was pass them.

Like, literally, just... We went outside and we had to pass them.

Obviously, I did nothing, because that'’s dumb.

CLAUDIA: We moved to Florida in June of 2010, so I was eight years old.

It was, I think, a 22-hour drive, it was very long, and we just drove straight.

A young dog, a baby and two girls, me and Alex, who just wouldn'’t stop bickering in the car, so we made it dreadful on our mom.

You just picked a scab in my car?

Emily!

Emily just hold it!

Apply pressure.

EMILY: I don'’t know why you'’re freaking out, it'’s not that bad.

CLAUDIA: You'’re bleeding in my car!

EMILY: Yeah.

CLAUDIA: My prized possession!

EMILY: It'’s black.

CLAUDIA: I know in New York, 9/11 is like a symbol that bonded everybody in the city and things like that.

But in Florida it was kind of different.

I mean, everybody knows about the day and all that good stuff, but it'’s not like everybody became closer because of it, if that makes sense.

Every year on the day, it would be really hard for me when I went to school because we would go into this full class lecture in almost every single one of my classes.

So it was very difficult to just sit there and like hear everything and everybody just learning, but not really wanting to learn about it, which kind of drove me up the wall.

I don'’t tell everybody.

I just feel like that'’s not that'’s not something that everybody needs to know when I first meet them.

I don'’t want everybody to look at me a certain way because of what happened, because that'’s not who I am as a person and it'’s just something that happened to my family.

GIRL: Down.

Bang.

(SPLASH) (ROCKETS EXPLODING) OBAMA: It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.

The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world.

The empty seat at the dinner table.

The children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.

Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who'’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

LUKE: I remember I was in third or fourth grade, and I was in the bathroom talking to a buddy and they were like "Did you hear about Bin Laden?

"Bin Laden was killed."

And I was like, "Cool," you know.

Like, "Yay!"

But okay?

I don'’t know.

It was a weird thought.

I was so young, I didn'’t know what that truly meant.

NICK: I remember the first kind of getting a glimpse of it on the bus home from school, because they had started talking about 9/11 on the radio and they played the radio on the bus, and so I was like, "Why are they talking about this?

"Why are they bringing this up now?

"It'’s been 10 years, please stop."

And then I got home and my mom was frantically staring at the TV, calling people, and I was like, "What happened?"

And she had said, "Osama was killed."

I thought she said Obama, so I was like, "Obama?"

(PEOPLE CHANTING) USA!

USA!

USA!

LUKE: Cheering about it'’s kind of something that'’s weird, '’cause it'’s like you'’re cheering that someone just got killed.

The guy'’s dead, you ended a human heartbeat.

That'’s not good.

Yet he was a very very horrible human being, and it'’s just like...

I don'’t know, I don'’t know.

It'’s a weird conversation to have.

NICK: Frederick K. Han.

WOMAN: Christopher James Hanley.

NICK: Sean S. Hanley.

WOMAN: Valerie Joel Hannah.

NICK: You have so many eyes on you, being one of the youngest kids.

I remember practicing for weeks, making sure I got every name right.

And for a 9-year-old, you can'’t really comprehend it, but being able to be a part of that was something extraordinary.

Thomas Paul Hannafin.

And my father, Sebastian Gorki, who I never met because I was in my mom'’s belly.

I love you, Father.

I love you for loving the idea of having me.

You gave me the gift of life and I wish you could be here to enjoy it with me.

♪ PAULA: So, tell me.

Was it worth... NICK: Very good.

PAULA: Is it good?

NICK: Mm-hmm PAULA: Yeah?

GIRL: It'’s really good.

PAULA: Does it beat the Southern Mama?

NICK: Well, we'’re down South.

PAULA: I haven'’t tried their pancake yet.

NICK: To me, it didn'’t feel any different.

I had a mom, I had a dad, I had me.

Eventually, then I also had my sister, so it didn'’t feel any different from, I guess, the typical family around me.

PAULA: Mmm Who is the best big brother?

NICK: I am.

(PAULA LAUGHING) PAULA: Because I was married at the time, and, you know, here he is, like, "My dad, my dad, my dad."

But at some point he questioned how come everybody else calls their dad father, but yet his dad is just his dad, so to speak.

Well, because you'’re lucky.

You had a father and you have a dad.

That'’s kind of like how we started the whole thing.

NICK: Yeah.

MAN: Go.

Nico, come over here and give me a big kiss.

NICK: She had told me, hey, he'’s actually not your father.

You get a very simple four -piece puzzle of about it, and then as you get older and older, then it'’s like, oh, my God, this is an a thousand piece puzzle with things coming from all over the place.

♪ Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you ♪ PAULA: Happy birthday Oma.

NICK: Happy birthday Oma.

NICK: Hi.

MARLIS: Hi.

NICK: How you doing?

MARLIS: Oh, yeah, fine.

Thank you.

Everything okay here.

Look.

NICK: Oh, my God, no way!

MARLIS: Look where my finger... can you read it?

NICK: Yeah, unaccompanied minor.

(LAUGHS) MARLIS: Since 2001, September 11th, we visit New York every year.

And then, Nico, you were eight or nine years when you came the first time in Germany all by yourself.

NICK: Yeah.

MARLIS: For me, now, since he is really grown up, it comes a little bit together with Sebastian.

For me, it comes to one person a little bit.

Sometimes I think, oh my God, where would he live now?

They wanted to wait until you are born.

Then, after a while, leaving the US to come to Europe.

NICK: I would have been a European kid.

MARLIS: Yeah, yeah.

NICK: That'’s crazy to think about.

What could have been different, you know.

'’Cause even just like the small things in life, it'’s so easy to change something so quickly.

MARLIS: Yeah.

NICK: You know?

And then change the entire course of your life.

I mean, I think we know that better than anyone.

♪ CLAUDIA: Ever since I was, like, a little girl, I would watch, like, investigation type shows, like Forensic Files or things like that that, it just really interests me, I don'’t know why.

I have always loved to argue and to look at, like, forensic stuff, blood doesn'’t bother me, things like that don'’t bother me.

TEACHER: Okay.

So, larceny and theft this morning.

CLAUDIA: I'’m taking three criminal justice courses.

I try to tell myself that it has nothing to do with the fact of what my family has gone through, but that definitely probably plays a big role.

My lowest grade right now is a 92, so I'’m trying to get that back up a little but it'’s harder to get it up than to get it down, so, that'’s what makes me nervous.

TEACHER: Who'’s the victim?

CLAUDIA: The company.

TEACHER: So... CLAUDIA: What I want is to just have a foot in to the system itself and ultimately make a change somewhere.

There'’s a lot of problems going on.

Prisons are almost 120% overbooked, every single one in the United States.

Especially with the global pandemic now going around as well.

I mean, they'’re getting sick and to keep people from getting sick, they'’re being thrown into solitary confinement for their own health and that'’s crazy in itself.

There'’s a lot of things going on under the radar that shouldn'’t be.

REPORTER: The safest place in America people here like to call it, just after 9:30 in the morning, a 20-year-old man whose mother taught at Sandy Hook Elementary School came into her classroom with two guns.

MAN: Twenty-seven people dead, 18 of them children.

LUKE: Growing up, yeah, it'’s like every year it was almost you expected, when'’s the next school shooting or mass shooting.

When'’s the next one gonna happen, it'’s gonna happen soon, which is really messed up.

WOMAN: I heard it first, I heard like, six shots go off.

DINA: We had drills throughout the year.

We had this thing called ALICE Drills, which I don'’t know what that stands for.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER) RONALD: They locked all the doors and then they turn all the lights off and then you would go to like the corner of a room where that person is least likely to see y'’all.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER) It was just a normal thing to do, it was a drill, so, all right, here we go again.

DINA: I would take it pretty seriously, knowing that things you don'’t expect can happen, happen.

So I think I would take those things a little more seriously and seeing people, like, goofing off was kind of tough.

REPORTER: The shots were heard outside of the school, the shooter engaging a target on the way to the school... REPORTER: When a seventeen-year-old male classmate opened fire on the school, killing eight students and two teachers, injuring 13 others.

LUKE: I was definitely someone, maybe this has something that has to do with you know, kind of the way my family is, but we'’re always planning for the worst, I guess.

It'’s like you walk into a movie theater it'’s like okey if something happened, where would I go, type thing?

REPORTER: Former student gunned down 17 people and wound more than a dozen others... RONALD: At that point I was just like, these happen like a little bit too much, man, like first of all, they shouldn'’t be happening at all, but they happen a lot here, specifically in the United States.

It'’s almost like, I don'’t know, man, this is, it was kind of odd.

Like, some precautionary measures need to happen.

(ALL CHANTING) Never again!

Never again!

NICK: How many shootings does it take to change gun laws?

America may never know.

(ALL CHANTING) We want change!

We want change!

We want change!

NICK: This is my poster from the March For Our Lives back in 2018.

This was less than a month after the Parkland shooting had occurred.

It was one of the first times that I guess I creatively took on the system.

And that'’s something that I kind of hope to continue throughout my life.

MEGAN: I think a lot of it is mental health issues.

I think a lot of people in America have, you know, things going on in their brains.

But it is so expensive to go get help, you know?

I'’m not saying it'’s an excuse to do something like that.

Because people just can'’t access any sort of help they need if they don'’t have, you know, the resources.

♪ I never really was like a talker in the sense that like, I don'’t talk about my feelings and I don'’t talk about my feelings with like my parents or my sisters, '’cause I'’m just like, I'’m okay, thanks.

But I guess, yeah, I do express it in other places like writing or music.

'’Cause it'’s just easier to get it out that way, I feel like, you know?

My music right now is very like singer-songwriter-y, like flowiness.

And, I don'’t think it matches my personality very well or my style.

And I'’m like, I don'’t wanna be a poser, you know?

♪ NICK: I'’m genuinely considering becoming a YouTuber.

For just funsies because, oh, my God!

Clearly, I'’m not going to be a good one!

But I'’m gonna just try.

♪ I saw this poking out of the rack, it'’s a little bit big for me, but I'’m obsessed with Oreos.

Jesus.

I got this shirt, it is definitely a women'’s shirt, but it, like, fits me, so I don'’t really care.

I got these shorts as well.

I think if there'’s one thing that I think Gen Z does really well, is this idea of just raw, like, vulnerability and connectedness with each other.

These are also definitely women'’s, but they fit me really well actually, so I don'’t really care.

There are so many things that I thought I was alone in that I found people who actually, you genuinely share my experience.

Oh, my God, that'’s gonna hurt my soul, looking through this one.

'’Cause this, even just looking back and cringing at your old self, you know, it'’s fun.

I think it was over the span of seventh and eighth grade that I, I just kinda realized like, oh, wait a minute.

Thank you, How to Get Away With Murder, because there was a gay character and I was like, wow, he'’s hot.

This is me, bedhead.

I never brushed my hair in the morning.

(CHUCKLES) I don'’t ever think I officially came out to everyone in my school, but I think at some point it was just like known, you know.

And I mean, I feel like at that point after seven years of spending together, I'’m a cheerleader, I sound like the way I sound.

If you didn'’t add two and two together, it'’s kind of your own fault, you know.

(CHUCKLES) Oh, my God, the old cheer uniforms!

No one ever came up to me, no one ever bothered me about it.

I had started cheering in tenth grade.

I actually had a lot of positive comments.

People are like, it'’s so cool to see that there'’s a guy on the cheer team now.

Even my parents were super, like, accepting of it.

And I think that has to do with a lot with social media.

People were seeing it a lot more, so they were a lot more open with it and okay with it.

But I think that also has to do with being in New York.

It'’s like, it'’s not exactly a very, I don'’t know, conservative place.

(CROWD CHEERING) ♪ RONALD: I scored a few times over here, you know.

I guess, for freshman and JV football, yeah.

That was pretty fun.

It was fun.

JACQUELINE: I just wanted my touchdown and he gave me my touchdown.

It was what?

What was it the season playoffs?

Was it playoffs?

RONALD: Yeah.

JACQUELINE: Yeah!

Wonderful!

We were down and he got to the endzone, caught the ball, it was just sheer determination.

We talked about like, you know man, if your dad was here you know... Because he, I'’ve watched his dad play sports.

And I know it would have been a different push than it was for me, when it came to sports or anything else, because our personalities were just really different.

And I would have loved to see it.

I would have loved to have seen that interaction.

It would have been wonderful.

RONALD: I would have to say there was one or two times, that you know, that I wished he was like really there.

But she did a great job at just, you know, feeding into that role as well.

So, I didn'’t really, I just got used to it.

I was used to it, because he was just never there.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ (MAN SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MALEK: We didn'’t have a lot of options.

Either I leave first, then I'’ll apply for my mother to come here.

Or we all to have to stay there.

It'’s either way.

Because we can'’t leave my mother alone.

Fares has to stay there.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MALEK: He was, like, 14 years old maybe, so he wasn'’t like too young.

He was fine, he was a teenager.

He could take care of himself.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) OBAMA: We know that our diversity, our patchwork heritage is not a weakness, it is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths.

LUKE: It'’s almost like every year gets, not harder but you understand more?

And now that I'’m older, it'’s like geez, that sucks, you know?

It really sucks, what happened.

OBAMA: This is the America that was attacked that September morning.

This is the America that we must remain true to.

RONALD: Every 9/11, in history class, we'’d have to like watch videos and stuff about it, some coaches would just come up to me and be like, I know this week'’s hard for you and stuff like that.

They said just try to get through it.

There'’s only been like one or two years that it got like really hard on me, like now.

DINA: Usually, when the day comes it feels like there'’s a lot of eyes on me which was definitely tough, because it'’s a mix of wanting support while also wanting to keep it private and personal.

MEGAN: I don'’t mean to sound, ungrateful, but it'’s weird for me when, on the day so many people send me messages, like, "Oh, I'’m so sorry," "thinking of you today," etc.

etc.

and I'’m just like all right, I wasn'’t really thinking about it until you flooded my inbox with all these messages, you know?

And it'’s like, not that I don'’t deserve it, but it'’s like, I don'’t know, I feel like that'’s more for my mother.

I'’m not reliving the day, I wasn'’t there, you know, I wasn'’t a thing yet, so I don'’t, I don'’t know, I don'’t have such a strong attachment.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) TRUMP: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country'’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

(PEOPLE CHEERING) NICK: This was the time that people started to take their sides in a sense.

TRUMP: We can be politically correct and we can be stupid but it'’s gonna get worse and worse!

LUKE: I don'’t really look at Islamic people and think, oh, be careful, look what they'’re gonna, what are they gonna do next, you know?

'’Cause, you know, they'’re still people too, but that being said, I think Middle East has a lot of really bad people.

I always find it interesting, there'’s a big thing, it'’s like in airports, a lot of people who are Muslim, kind of complain about getting patted down and stuff, it'’s like, well, yeah, that'’s probably frustrating but you have to understand why.

It'’s like you live in a country where that'’s a threat to America.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MALEK: Here in America, you have to be 21 to apply for a visa for your mother.

So once I had the 21 years old, I think the next day I applied.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) FARES: When I was in Dearborn, it was a big Arabic community.

Like it'’s easy for me to talk with them, know me, know them.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) This is my state.

You can do this shot like, from Yemen to Michigan.

Welcome to Michigan!

(BIRDS CHIRPING) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) LUKE: Hi y'’all, my names'’ Luke Taylor, I'’m from Colorado Springs, Colorado, my major'’s pre-business and I love NASCAR.

♪ DINA: I'’ve always been an angry, little child.

I'’ve always made jokes around mourning and my loss, it does make people super uncomfortable which I find a little funny.

NICK: I hated the idea of sticking to the status quo and I would weirdly just get into arguments.

Like, arguments over phones, why?

Why?

LUKE: I was dating this girl and I would sneak out a lot to go visit her at night.

Like, multiple times a week for a couple of months when we were dating.

So, my parents had no idea.

I don'’t know how.

My dad was in intelligence in the Army.

I thought he was kinda like a spy but he never found out.

So, surprise.

RONALD: Update, again!

You know, they'’re long drives, man.

It'’s just like, they take forever so, you got to entertain yourself somehow.

So this is how fast I'’m going...

Wait.

That'’s how fast, I'’m going almost a hundred.

Not a hundred though.

I don'’t want to get arrested.

MAN: Vroom.

Yeah.

PAULA: First day driving.

Are you going to go in reverse?

NICK: Yeah, I just wanna back up so I'’m not gonna... PAULA: Just remember there is a car behind us.

NICK: That was huge for me.

The day I could, we were at the DMV.

I was getting my learner'’s permit.

I would drive maybe five, ten miles an hour.

I didn'’t even put my foot on the gas pedal.

But it was just finally, a lot of freedom.

Especially, in a town like this, there'’s not a lot of amenities here.

MEGAN: Actually, my best friend, Amanda, is two years older than me.

She was learning how to drive when I was 14, she was learning how to drive stick, '’cause she always wanted a manual Jeep, so I learned how to drive stick when I was 14.

Sorry, Mom.

♪ RONALD: Update on the trip.

I got a citation for speeding.

(CHUCKLES) I was looking, he was lurking, I guess.

I have no clue where he came from.

I was going like 20 over, so, yeah, I deserve the ticket.

But, shoot.

Every time you'’re driving, you get stopped by a cop and, it'’s scary, it'’s scary '’cause, being, being a person of color.

Because you don'’t know what'’s going to happen, '’cause things have happened that were on the news and you'’re not trying to end up like that.

NICK: Five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

NICK: It kind of started my freshman year at high school.

A lot of my friends were cheerleaders on my high school team.

So I was like, you know what, like why not?

I am not doing a sport.

It could be pretty fun.

And I fell in love.

(ALL CHEERING) When I got a taste of what it was like to compete, I was like, I love this.

(ALL CHEERING) I joined an all-star cheerleading team, which is kind of like the, the level up I guess.

It'’s way more competitive.

It was a lot of fun.

It ended up culminating, unfortunately, with COVID.

I was actually headed towards a competition.

It was down in Florida.

There'’s just like a handful of really, really big events in cheer.

And this was one of them.

I was getting ready to go on my flight and they came out with an update and they were changing the entire competition.

You know, just something that I love, all of a sudden just getting ripped away from me.

It was just, ugh, you know?

TRUMP: My administration is recommending that all Americans including the young and healthy, work to engage in schooling from home when possible, avoid gathering in groups of more than ten people.

Avoid discretionary travel.

RONALD: My senior year ended on a random day in March.

You get a notice and you'’re just like, oh, we can extra week of spring break.

And I'’m like, we'’re all like, cool.

And then we just never went back to school after that for the next, for the next year.

CLAUDIA: It was spring break, so we were home for spring break and it was a Friday and I get an email that schools are shutting down for an extra two weeks.

I was, like, oh, okay, longer spring break, that'’s fine.

And then two weeks went by and we'’re shutting down for the rest of the semester.

DINA: For me, it was my senior year, and that was really, really emotional.

And I did feel a lot of, how could this happen?

And like, why me, why our grade?

Classic, classic Dina'’s life, having another thing, another big thing happen.

MEGAN: COVID has made me very negative on the world outlook, '’cause it'’s like we had one job which was to stay home and wear a mask and even then people were like "No," and they just ruined it for everybody else.

And it reminds me of when you'’re in elementary school and a kid'’s like, "Wait what about the homework?"

And everyone'’s like, what are you saying, don'’t say that.

It'’s like that one person went outside without a mask and ruined it for all of us.

♪ (ALARM CLOCK RINGING) ♪ FARES: Before COVID, I was an events photographer, and mosque security, and running with people, swimming, biking, lots of things.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) FARES: When COVID started, I was telling people to wearing a mask.

Because I have the free time when I was in Yemen.

(BAGS CRINKLING) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) AUTOMATED VOICE: Then in 150 feet, turn right.

Arrive at the destination on your left.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (BIRDS CHIRPING) NICK: COVID really made everyone kind of stop and re-evaluate in a sense.

People are just becoming more aware of what'’s going on in the world.

You know, that'’s why we saw a huge push with the Black Lives Matter movement, especially in the summer, because with everyone at home, you hear so much about it.

You become emotionally invested in this type of stuff.

MAN: You are in violation of Minneapolis... (CROWD MURMURING) RONALD: It just kind of made me angry, '’cause, like, you know, it'’s just like, this has been happening for so long and, it'’s still an issue today and it'’s been happening since before, since before my mom was alive.

WOMAN: No peace!

No peace!

JACQUELINE: It blows my mind that I have to say, look, if you'’re stopped by the police, this is what you need to do.

You call me, you know, quickly and I'’m coming.

I'’m coming.

That'’s scary to me.

RONALD: People can record stuff now, it'’s all over the internet, there'’s so many sites and stuff that you can put it on, so people can get to see it.

In a way that has changed for it to be noticed, but in the way that, for that problem to get better, I have not seen any change.

(PEOPLE CHANTING) "Our streets!"

DINA: Really recognizing that there is so much change that needs to be made and recognizing that I myself am racist.

Like, it it doesn'’t feel good to say that, but it'’s an everyday thing that you have to be working on.

Like, we were taught, we were taught to be racist.

CLAUDIA: There'’s people going around that wanna cancel law enforcement completely and that is not my case.

I mean, my godfather'’s a police officer.

My uncle is in the military.

I don'’t see how we can be safer without them.

MEGAN: Oppression has been a part of America forever.

You get taught things but you don'’t get taught the full story.

You know you hear things like how great you know so and so was, but then it'’s like well they actually weren'’t, they did all this bad stuff.

School almost tries to shape you to be one way and then I feel, like, when kids find out the truth, they almost kind of, you know, resent their own country because, well, I was lied to, you know.

MAN: Claudia Szurkowski WOMAN: Oooh, they got it!

Yay!

ANNOUNCER: It'’s graduation time!

REPORTER: 2020 is the first class born after 9/11 and this year they will be the first to not walk across the stage.

(SIRENS WAILING) DINA: We had two different graduations.

We had a graduation parade and then a more traditional ceremony.

I liked the parade way more.

It was new and it was exciting and it felt really and it was special for us.

And we got to drive around town, everyone in town, cheering us on.

It felt like it, in a sense, was making up for what was possibly lost.

RONALD: It took ten seconds, graduation was ten seconds.

You would walk through, get your diploma, take a picture, walk, you'’re done.

That'’s it.

You'’re done, finished, graduation, boom.

FARES: Fake picture.

(CHUCKLES) I missed because I was in Yemen.

There was a graduate ceremony, but I wasn'’t here.

And even if it was online, I can'’t watch it because Yemen has bad internet.

LUKE: They ended up re-scheduling it for August.

You know, we had to stagger the seats a little bit wear our masks and stuff like that, but it was it was, at least we got to proceed I guess.

I had the graduation ceremony that morning, left the afternoon for college.

That morning I was sitting on the stage, Yeah, I'’m leaving today, like, this is awesome.

And then it was like, it hit me, I was like, wow, like I'’m actually leaving now.

DEAN: Well, you don'’t need to worry because we don'’t mind being empty nesters either.

DONNA: Now they'’re up and on their own and we see that they'’re functioning, wonderful young men, you know, you'’re just like, okay, I can let it out now.

(CHUCKLES) So, Nancy and Kip gave some pretty cool gifts, so, I know.

And I mean that'’s the greatest thing you could ever get, is kids, so.

(CRYING) Sorry.

(CHUCKLING) (CROWD CHEERING AND APPLAUDING) MEGAN: I didn'’t want to go to graduation.

My mom was like, "You have to."

ANNOUNCER: Megan Lee Fehling!

(PEOPLE CHEERING AND WHISTLING) And I looked up at my parents at the stands and I was like, I'’m free!

And they were like... (SHUSHING) I was like, I'’m free!

And then yeah, that was it.

This was a poem I submitted instead of a college essay.

The Day When Life Flashed Before My Eyes.

The melancholy days when my sister hugged me tighter than the rest, and childhood laughter that filled the air with purpose and not just an attempt to fill the silence.

My mother'’s tears as they said my father'’s name on TV the same day every year.

The feeling of being heartbroken and not being the one doing the heart breaking.

Seeing Santa Claus was not jolly at all, just my stepdad in a tracksuit.

Realizing nostalgia can be felt while looking at Big Ben.

Playing that song by The Smiths, again, and again and again.

The day I told my sister she wasn'’t allowed to grow up.

Yesterday when I realized she didn'’t listen very much.

My dad'’s grave for the first time when I was five.

New Year'’s Eve in New York City, freezing but alive.

Reading and re-reading the Catcher in the Rye.

The phlebotomist who woke me from my unconscious state of mind.

♪ DINA: College tomorrow!

♪ I was really excited I was excited to leave because of COVID, just because I felt really stuck at home.

But I was definitely nervous to start school on my own.

SUSAN: Sending her off with the pandemic, not knowing what classes were gonna look like, what social life was gonna look like, it was scary.

DINA: I was sad when my parents left, but I remember they texted me, an hour after they had dropped me off, asking if I'’d eaten yet and if I wanted them to come, pick me up to get dinner and I was like, excuse me?

I am an adult now and I'’m living on my own.

I got my dinner.

Thank you, though.

NICK: Dorm tour, still a little bit of a work in progress, but we'’ve got my bed.

My computer is set up on my desk.

PAULA: It was heart-breaking, you know, to drop him off and then come back to like an empty room and all that.

NICK: And my little closet.

Walk-in but kind of, cramped.

PAULA: There was that, my baby is leaving, how am I gonna do this?

I was actually pretty composed, would you say?

NICK: Yeah.

PAULA: But I was confident that he could stand on his own two feet.

Everything is there and the universe will provide for him.

And so sure enough we spoke... NICK: A lot.

(CHUCKLING) RONALD: I was never really sad about leaving, you know?

'’Cause I feel that'’s just not how my family is.

We'’re just like, okay, another one gone, I just got back.

I went to Texas Tech or I still currently do, and I stayed in Chitwood residence.

I finished a quiz.

I was hungry so I made these raviolis.

The room was really tiny.

Definitely for me and my roommate.

We'’re both very tall people and so I'’m 6'’3" and he'’s 6'’5", so it was like a really tight fit.

I'’m doing psychology now.

I'’m planning on majoring in bio.

I want to become a PA. That'’s a Physician'’s Assistant.

They work in tandem with the doctor.

I feel like it'’d just be a really cool thing to do.

And I think I'’d love it.

LUKE: Of course any son would wanna follow in their dad'’s footsteps.

DEAN: Don'’t try to overdrive, okay?

LUKE: Both my dads did ROTC and like that'’s what I'’m doing right now.

MAN: Ambition, purpose, direction, resilience.

♪ LUKE: There'’s definitely times where I'’m like man, do I really wanna do this, like, no, like getting up at 5:30 on weekday mornings when you know, every single one of your friends that isn'’t ROTC is sleeping until ten or until they have classes, it'’s like that'’s not fair, you know, but, you'’re proud.

I know it'’s not easy and because it'’s not easy makes it meaningful.

It'’s crazy now that I have the opportunity, I don'’t know, if this is going to happen or not but if I'’m going to be active duty in a couple years to fight the same war that started because my dad died.

It'’s not like the same specific people that were like related to 9/11.

So, it'’s not revenge, it'’s not really like that.

I think really just doing my part and if I really wanna be in the army, that'’s just kind of how it'’s gonna be.

I mean thousands of other guys will be doing it with me and I, that'’s how it is.

(ROAD NOISE) CLAUDIA: Hello.

JERZY: Hi.

How are you?

CLAUDIA: Good.

JERZY: Nice to see you.

ANNA: How was your school?

CLAUDIA: Good.

JERZY: Good.

CLAUDIA: Yeah.

JERZY: Babcia made some soup for you.

CLAUDIA: I know, I smell it.

I'’m so excited.

JERZY: She'’s almost every day in our house.

Almost every day.

WOMAN: What was Claudia like as a baby?

JERZY: She was very happy, always smiling.

Running around, She was so cute.

ANNA: Claudia baby.

CLAUDIA: Oh, God.

JERZY: Babcia likes small children, you have to have the children.

So make Babcia happy, make me happy.

You promise you'’re going to have children?

CLAUDIA: Yes.

Eventually.

You gotta talk to Alex first.

She'’s older.

ANNA: I am from very big family, my mom raised ten kids, I am sixth.

Without electricity, without running water and only me, thanks to him, we are in America, everybody'’s in Poland.

JERZY: Back then in Poland, it was Socialist, Communist.

And I know that system from inside out, so thanks, God, doesn'’t come over here, because I don'’t have anything, where to move!

CLAUDIA: The Democratic party and kids, not even adults, kids are boasting about Communism, bringing Communism to the States.

It'’s kinda scary to think about, '’cause I hear these stories, like my family lived in Communism first-hand, so like I don'’t want that here.

I'’m so happy with the life I have, I'’m given everything, and I work hard for what I get, and I don'’t wanna work hard to not get anything in return.

JERZY: People are smart enough, this is not gonna happen.

CLAUDIA: I don'’t think so.

JERZY: And I hope it'’s not gonna happen, people are smart.

CLAUDIA: I don'’t think people are smart enough.

ANNA: I think it'’s not going to happen.

America is beautiful, freedom country and gonna stay long, long time like this.

RONALD: And while we are here, we could also talk about the election.

So... BIDEN: This election is the most important one you'’ve ever voted in, whether it'’s your first or tenth.

RONALD: I'’m only 18, so it'’s my first year of voting.

So, you know, let me talk about the experience.

NICK: One thing that was very clear was that everyone was like, go vote.

I don'’t care what you are, you'’re going to vote.

MEGAN: We got emails almost every day, being like go vote, go vote, it'’s really important, please go vote.

BIDEN: America is coming back like we used to be, ethical, straight, telling the truth.

MEGAN: It'’s difficult, because it'’s like a lot of people are like, politics is super corrupt, it doesn'’t matter what I do.

I sometimes kind of feel that way but it'’s like, you might as well try, and be like, all right, well, this is literally the only thing I can do, so I might as well do it.

TRUMP: They want to indoctrinate our children, defund our police, abolish the suburbs, incite riots... CLAUDIA: The way my family does it, is like we talk about it and we do it together, we vote for the same person.

Like my mom teaches us why.

I mean, she would let us vote for who we chose, but just the way we were taught is how we do it, so we kind of do it together.

DINA: I did actually cast my ballot already, which is so exciting.

I voted by mail.

RONALD: I'’m not going to tell you who I voted for.

Actually it doesn'’t really matter if I tell you who I voted for.

I voted for Biden.

It doesn'’t matter.

(FIREWORKS EXPLODING) (PEOPLE CHEERING) DINA: I was like crying!

It is so exciting to have a female Vice President in office, like, that was so, so exciting!

(PEOPLE CLAPPING) TRUMP: We were getting ready for a big celebration.

We were winning everything and all of a sudden it was just called off.

LUKE: I don'’t know if if we'’ll ever truly know it'’s like, okay, maybe the election was rigged but you won'’t be able to prove it, and so what are you gonna do.

TRUMP: And we have all these announcers saying what happened and then they said, ooh.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) NICK: Today is January 8th, 2021.

It'’s around 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Shots fired at the county Democratic Party headquarters.

I don'’t quite know what happened but, sounds like a mess.

Oh, Jesus.

Six bullets.

Yikes.

(CHUCKLES) LUKE: When the attack on the Capitol happened, there was Trump flags everywhere, I'’m sure everyone'’s seen those pictures.

For all we know, maybe, they were all Trump supporters, or maybe they were all Democrats, trying to pose as Trump supporters to make Trump look bad, I don'’t necessarily think that'’s true but like I'’ve heard different things, different conspiracy theories that I don'’t have enough research in to, say if I believe in them or not.

(PEOPLE SHOUTING) RONALD: What they did there, was literally like a terrorist...

It'’s not being seen as a terrorist attack, but it literally was a terrorist attack.

That'’s literally the definition of it, you can'’t just rush the Capitol.

DINA: I had always thought of terrorism as people outside the country coming into our country and like wreaking havoc that way.

I had never even imagined such chaos.

Yeah.

SUSAN: Domestic terrorism DINA: Yeah, domestic terrorism and I like I didn'’t even know that was a thing.

NICK: So let'’s see domestic terrorism definition.

So from the Department of State, we'’ve got: premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combative targets by sub national group or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience.

I would definitely say that'’s fitting.

(CROWD CHANTING) RONALD: Say if those were BLM protesters, I'’m telling you, there would be more than four bodies, there would definitely be more than four dead bodies, there would definitely be way more.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MALEK: Fares is saying, they just like to show off.

RONALD: Here we are, this is San Antonio, Texas.

Wow, like crazy.

It'’s San Antonio, Texas.

You don'’t expect this.

I got these.

Ooh.

I got a little beanie on.

My hair is huge, so that'’s why the beanie looks like that.

That'’s my car.

If you don'’t believe in climate change, you should believe in it now.

Okay.

This is literally the next day.

Look at this.

Look at my car now.

All that gone.

All round there, all gone.

But yeah, I'’m on my way to the gym, so that'’s what we'’re gonna do.

WOMAN: All right guys, let'’s go ahead and get started.

If you could just type your name into the chat for me.

RONALD: People generally believe that technology will take care of our energy needs.

Few people are aware of many... Well, I just wanted to come back here, '’cause I think this is where I'’d like to start working and everything for an actual job, an actual career stuff like that.

WOMAN: So next week... JACQUELINE: It'’s strange that he'’s not getting the real experience and that most of the stuff is online.

So, he'’s not getting the real feel of what college is all about.

You need to feel the pressure and the burn.

RONALD: I do feel the pressure and the burn.

JACQUELINE: Make you grow.

RONALD: It'’s about five in the morning.

Finals!

Finals are coming up.

So I'’ve got to study for that.

Good grades, always, good grades.

I haven'’t gone to sleep yet, so we'’ll do that later.

FARES: Hey, miss.

Hi, good morning.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) FARES: Okay, does that work well?

If I don'’t graduate, I'’ll go crazy maybe.

DINA: This is my dorm for my freshman year.

Let me take you on a little tour.

Here'’s my schedule.

Oh!

You can ignore that, Mom doesn'’t need to know that.

This is my really dirty mirror, hello!

Here is my little nugget.

Kojo!

Okay, you can go back to sleep.

This smiley face.

I love smiley faces.

Here is a I heart female orgasm poster.

And, interestingly enough, I plan on pursuing a career in sex education.

I know that our sex education in school was not adequate.

It was the birthing video, putting a condom on a dildo and, don'’t get pregnant.

That'’s what sex education is and that is not adequate.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS) (DOG BARKING) LUKE: Hey, how are you doing?

STEPHEN: What'’s up, dude?

LUKE: Good to see you.

STEPHEN: All right man.

LUKE: Thanks for having me, I appreciate it.

Are we sitting here?

Yeah?

STEPHEN: Hey, kiddos, can you all be quiet if you'’re going to be outside?

CHILD: What are you guys doing?

STEPHEN: We'’re just talking.

LUKE: Was it his ranch you are hunting at?

STEPHEN: No, it was like a friend of his.

LUKE: Okay.

STEPHEN: We saw some aoudad which are those horned, like those rams.

I think next time, if we went again, I mean, I think he would probably let us shoot one of them.

LUKE: Nice WOMAN: How did you guys find each other?

LUKE: I think he asked me to go shooting, the first time we hung out.

STEPHEN: Yeah.

LUKE: Hey, you want to go skeet shooting?

I was like, this guy seems cool.

STEPHEN: Then he jumped into a Bible study with us and then we'’d meet up every now and then.

LUKE: I think there'’s generally a culture in college of just unholy things.

Like hookup culture and a lot of people that just like drinking a lot and going out to the bars, some drugs.

It'’s really easy just to lose, kind of lose your footing, if you'’re not careful.

STEPHEN: I think, Luke'’s been through some really big, hard challenging things.

There'’s more maturity than, than his years.

It'’s not something we would ever choose to go through, hardships.

So that it would make us more mature, but God can use it in that way.

LUKE: Talking about 9/11, the story, I don'’t know if it was hardship for me personally.

It was definitely hard for my family, I know.

But it'’s like I'’ve grown up hearing stories about my mom and dad and I hate to say it this but as far as like the relationship that I had with them, it almost feels like losing a distant relative.

I asked a lot of questions.

And a lot of the times, you know, as humans, we don'’t have answers for a lot of the questions.

Like, hey, why did God do this to me?

It'’s like, I don'’t know, man.

I don'’t know.

I guess God just has a different plan than we realize sometimes.

♪ (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) FARES: I worked here maybe for two years, in the media team and in the security team.

And I have, one photo there, one of my photos on the wall.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) ♪ CLAUDIA: I need my BA, before I go to law school.

ALEXANDRA: In what?

CLAUDIA: Criminal justice.

ALEXANDRA: Okay.

CLAUDIA: Do you not listen to me?

ALEXANDRA: I feel like we definitely have a very strong family unit, and I honestly think it'’s because of the fact of what happened, 100%.

CLAUDIA: Alex always called herself like our second mom, because Alex was four, she was there.

She knew Dad a little.

I mean.

You were three?

I thought you were four.

Okay, well, she was three.

So, Alex was there through me being born and me growing up and stuff, so my mom kind of, not expected, but kinda had her grow up a little faster than she should have.

I definitely make sure that I think about him or I talk to him, everyday.

ALEXANDRA: I don'’t forget... CLAUDIA: When I get super busy, and I don'’t do it one day, I feel so bad.

Like, it just hurts.

ALEXANDRA: I just know that I'’m busy.

I'’m an adult now.

I'’m just like, I'’m busy, and I'’m sure he gets it.

I'’m sure.

I mean, he had to deal with my mom who was busy 24/7.

CLAUDIA: Schooling, working.

ALEXANDRA: So, he knows.

We'’re gonna reach so many milestones, so many.

And now, we just hear him through her.

And we just, we'’ve come to the... well, I'’ve come to the fact to accept it, you know.

(WAVES GENTLY SPLASHING) (DINA SINGING) ♪ I'’ve seen your pictures heard the stories ♪ ♪ '’Bout how you filled your life with glory ♪ ♪ '’Cause you made people feel important ♪ ♪ You let them know that they are wanted ♪ DINA: I don'’t think I think of my dad every day, which sometimes makes me feel a little guilty.

♪ I feel so silly writing a song ♪ ♪ But I'’ll admit it it'’s what keeps me strong ♪ DINA: I mean, I think I have felt anger about it for sure.

So many times, I'’ve thought about what my life would have been otherwise.

I mean, I think one of the things that makes me realize how lucky I am is Rebecca.

That always brightens that thought up.

I feel like that was kind of my gift in return.

SUSAN: Is that... DINA: You look like you, Mom.

♪ '’Cause your voice is a mystery to me ♪ ♪ And your laugh will never reach my ears ♪ ♪ I can feel your love from afar ♪ ♪ Whenever I look up to the stars ♪ ♪ I love you more than you'’ll know ♪ ♪ And everyday, my love for you grows ♪ (FOOTSTEPS) ♪ LUKE: I don'’t really talk to them, like, specifically.

I guess questioning the whole faith side of things, it'’s like, okay, are they actually watching down on me right now?

Do they know what I'’m doing?

I know I like to get places fast sometimes.

I think I'’ll just look down and be, like, well they wouldn'’t want me to do this right now, they'’d want me to be more safe.

And so, I definitely take that into a lot of consideration whenever I'’m like, oh wow, I'’m going 100 miles an hour.

Maybe I shouldn'’t be doing that, for example.

♪ NICK: There have been times where I think I consider the what ifs, you know?

I'’d love to know what life would have been like if he was alive, maybe what he would have been like as a dad, you know?

Would we have gotten along, or would we have been always at each other'’s throats, or all that type of thing.

I guess the what ifs, more than anything.

♪ RONALD: Oh, yeah, this must have been, like, nearing after 9/11.

"As I face a future without you, raising our children, "I know in my heart, from above, "you will be lending be me a hand.

"This is not goodbye, Ronald.

"It is not even, '’I'’ll see you later.

'’ "It is simply '’until we meet again.

'’" I'’ve never seen that.

Yeah.

Tugs at the heart a little bit I guess.

Yeah, we can be sentimental for sure.

But I think, to get a tear out of us, it'’d be pretty difficult.

'’Cause there'’s no point.

Yeah, '’cause whatever happens is happening.

We might as well live in the moment.

(BALL BOUNCING) I just wanna be happy, man.

Yeah.

I just wanna be, I just wanna be happy, and, yeah, that'’s pretty much it.

A family, that'’d be cool.

A family and just living life, I guess, yeah.

I don'’t know, I'’m not asking for much, I'’m just... CLAUDIA: I think it'’s so crazy because they got married when she was 18.

Looking at me now, there'’s no way I'’m ready for marriage.

(BUMPING BALL) I am a young adult, but I am not ready for all the adult things in life.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (LAUGHING) (FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) (WOMAN SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MEGAN: I have felt like an adult since I was, eight, in my brain, I'’m always like, oh, I'’m so old.

Now, I guess, yeah, I feel like an adult.

I feel pretty adult-ish.

FARES: I think, yeah.

DINA: It'’s a weird in-between of responsibilities and figuring it all out.

It'’s all really hard, but I like working through it.

LUKE: I am proud of how independent I'’ve become.

But I, man.

I don'’t know if I could say, like, oh, yeah, I'’m a man, you know?

I wish I could, but I just think I'’m still growing.

♪ NICK: Things are so all over the place, and so complicated, and it'’s so difficult to wrap your head around everything.

I guess wherever life takes me, life takes me.

So, yeah.

♪ It would be eight years from now that we would be the same age.

From the time that he died.

In eight years, we'’d be about the same age.

And that'’s probably going to be a very interesting year, I guess, for everyone because that'’s kind of where his path ended, you know, and I get to carry it on, you know, the passing of the torch.

One day at a time.

Only so much that I can do about the world.

RONALD: I know that life could end at any moment.

I know that you just gotta do things that are good for you and do things that are good for the people around you, and the people that you love and care about.

CLAUDIA: He'’s always gonna be with me everywhere I go, no matter what.

(FARES SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) LUKE: Having both of your parents pass away before you turn three, that'’s a pretty tough way to start life.

And I don'’t really think there was any possible way that it could have turned out better.

DINA: Everybody is so badly craving change even though it has come from such horrible, horrible events.

Good is coming from it.

MEGAN: If everyone admits that they can learn more and try a little harder, they'’ll be fine.

We'’ll figure it out.

(CHUCKLES) ♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Generation 9/11 is available on Amazon Prime Video