Sept. 11 always will be a day for somber remembrances, but there also is reason today to celebrate the spirit and resilience of America.

As the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks grew near, Americans were careful not to refer to any event related to the tragedy as a “celebration.” There were memorials, remembrances, commemorations anything but a celebration.

And yet, Americans do have something to celebrate. It’s not the deaths of thousands of innocent victims but the spirit of America that has survived and perhaps even been strengthened by the unthinkable violence of a year ago.

Some of us actually knew someone who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. All of us felt the pain of that day. A mixture of anger and fear gripped the nation as it was transfixed by videotape that looked like a computer animation. This just couldn’t be happening.

The tragedy and the deaths certainly are cause for sorrow and serious reflection, but the nation’s response to the terrible attack does give us reason to celebrate the spirit and resilience of America. The nation lurched into action, bound together by a common cause. An outpouring of support and donations came from all parts of the nation to help those in New York.

We’ve had a year now to reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001. We wonder how to make sense of the tragedy and derive something good from something so evil. Some Americans remain angry either at the foreign powers or at the U.S. policies they believe contributed to the hatred felt by these enemies. Some Americans amazingly, many of those who lost loved ones in the attack are forgiving and seek to get on with their lives. There is fear across the nation, but not paralyzing fear. We are a strong people and a stronger nation because of the ideals that bind us together.

In a column written for today, George Will refers to the “proposition” on which America is built, the proposition expressed in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address that described America as “a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The proposition is the basis for the U.S. Constitution whose preamble declares: “In Order to form a more prefect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” It’s a tall order, but it’s the ideal that has bound this nation together for more than 200 years.

The United States is a powerful nation. We must use that power carefully to protect democracy and freedom both within our borders and around the world. Our attackers now know that the events of Sept. 11, 2001, will not bring this nation down. They also should know that although we are a benevolent people, we will not be complacent about those who attack not only our people but the ideals that are the foundation of America.

Although the resilience of our nation is worth celebrating today, for most of us, contemplation seems more appropriate. It’s a time to think about those who died and how we can mold our lives and our nation in a way that honors their memory. This is a great country because of the people like those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and because of those they left behind to protect and defend the United States of America.