Anniversaries recognize very different events. They can either be a celebration of joy or a painful memory of something lost.

Over the past weekend, Americans held solemn recognitions for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

Four American Presidents spoke at these ceremonies, each delivering messages paying tribute to the victims, and all calling for unity in our nation. Their speeches hearkened back to the after September 11, 2001 and the sense of unity felt by our nation in the attacks’ aftermath.

Watching the 9/11 ceremonies, this anniversary struck me more than in past ones. The reason was that it was noted this generation of kindergarten through 12th grade students is a group yet unborn when these attacks occurred. All their knowledge about this comes either from outside sources.

The 9/11 attacks are one of the “where were you” moments, like Pearl Harbor, or President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, or Oklahomans’ recollection of April 19, 1995. The lessons we teach the youth of our nation about our history correlate directly to the outcomes in how they treat these anniversaries and in how these events shape their views.

We succeed as a nation when we do this correctly. Educating future generations accurately about these lessons is what scares those who would seek to tear apart America’s sense of unity. These lessons make us stronger and more resolute as a whole and drive future generations to do better than past ones.

This week also holds two very special anniversaries for me personally. Monday, September 12, 2016, was my first day on the job with the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. Over these past five years, I have been very fortunate to work with a team to improve awareness across that state about children’s policies and issues. Our work with policymakers to shape the state for the better for our children is incredibly rewarding.