On Being a 9/11 Kid

TL;DR

The author lost her father, Tom Brennan, in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center when she was one year old.
She experienced grief but felt 'lucky' compared to older children of victims, though this also made her loss feel less personal.
The author describes the difficulty of learning about 9/11 in school, where her father's death was detailed and photographed.
Public attention from strangers, often well-meaning, on social media and online forums makes her feel a sense of violation and protectiveness over her grief.
She feels a responsibility to represent '9/11 kids' positively and uses her father's memory for good through foundations.
The author finds that people often want to connect with the tragedy of 9/11 through her, sharing their own related stories.
Despite the complex emotions, she prefers sharing her grief with the world rather than grieving alone, finding comfort in collective remembrance.
The author concludes that being too young to remember 9/11 does not diminish ownership of grief but allows it to be shared and remembered together.

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