By Mallika Chopra

Today, on 9/11, I will remember honor my role as a mom to nurture my children, the global citizens of tomorrow.

What will you do on 9/11?

I was 5 months pregnant on 9/11.

When the first plane crashed, my mother, my father and my brother were on all different airplanes. I was awoken by a phone call that morning from my father, who was crying, panicked that my brother could be on one of the planes that crashed. As we watched the 2nd plane crash, we still did not know where he was. It was with immense relief that I wept after he called to say his plane had made an emergency landing in Detroit.

And then I was overwhelmed with grief and sadness as I realized that so many in our global family – our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends, neighbors, teachers, nephews, nieces, aunts, cousins, children – had died in this terrible attack on humanity. A day later, while going for a walk, I fainted and ended up in the hospital. The stress from all the emotion combined with my pregnancy was too much for me to handle.

For me, the call of 9/11 was linked to becoming a mom. I found myself overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, trepidation of bringing a innocent life into a planet into a world that held so much violence.

However, over the next few months as stories poured in about the lives, the personalities, the dreams of those who perished, that fear transitioned into something powerful.

We learned of angels and heroes, everyday people who sacrificed everything, their very lives, to help another human. We saw people reach out to one another. A community, a nation, a world coming together to overcome.

We learned about friendship, gratitude, inspiration, forgiveness.

We learned about love. True love.

And, it became clear to me that my role as a mom was a very important one. Moms play a sacred role in our social quilt – we shape the citizens of tomorrow.

The “I Will” campaign has the intent to honor 9/11 by creating a movement built on people remembering through positive action. Join the movement by sharing a statement on what you will do on 9/11 on their website.

Our intent friends will love the I Will quilt (pictured right) – please check it out and contribute. We would love for you to share your I WILL on Intent, as well as any videos you create about how you will honor 9/11. (Add the hashtag #911day).

We will never fully release the sorrow of 9/11. But, I do believe we can get inspiration from the heroism and service of that day, and through positive action, we can each play our part in transforming our planet and giving back to our communities to heal.

Here are my dad’s and brother’s I Will videos:

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Mallika Chopra is Tara and Leela’s mom. She’s written two books inspired by them – 100 Promises to My Baby and 100 Questions from Her Child. She started Intent to realize her personal intention to connect with others by sharing and listening to each others stories.