I was three years old when September 11, 2001 happened.

That is something I’ve thought about more as the 25th anniversary approaches. I don’t have a memory of watching the towers fall on television. I don’t remember the confusion of that morning or sitting with my family as the news unfolded. At three years old, I was simply too young to understand what was happening.

But September 11 has still been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

My understanding of that day has come from the people around me. I’ve heard stories from family, friends and others who were old enough to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they found out. I’ve heard about the fear and uncertainty of those first hours and about how different things felt in the days that followed.

For people who lived through the events of September 11, those memories are personal. For people my age, many of us know the day through the stories that have been passed down to us.