{"id":22625,"date":"2026-03-11T13:19:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/uncategorized\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:42:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:42:29","slug":"the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"

I quietly closed the door of my freshman dorm room behind me at Boston College, but not before I glanced back at the photo of Dad and me. The one of me as a girl sitting on his lap in the cockpit of a 767.<\/p>\n

I wish you were here, Dad<\/em>, I thought as I walked down the hall from my room. I wish you were here to help me figure all this out.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I was glad my new roommate was still asleep. \u201cI\u2019m going to be gone tomorrow, at a family event,\u201d I\u2019d told her the night before, and she\u2019d thankfully been totally disinterested.<\/p>\n

It was as if September 11 wasn\u2019t even on her mind. I suppose I shouldn\u2019t have been surprised. Even the front page of the newspaper was focused on Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n

How quickly we forget<\/em>, I thought. It seemed too soon. But I\u2019d been glad to delay the inevitable talk with my roommate. I wasn\u2019t ready to see the shock in her eyes, to hear how sorry she felt for me, to be the victim\u2014again.<\/p>\n

How do you tell someone that your dad was the pilot on Flight 11, the first plane that terrorists flew into the World Trade Center?<\/p>\n

For four years now I\u2019d prayed that I\u2019d be able to figure out where 9\/11 fit into my life. But as a freshman starting high school on that terrible day I never got a chance to introduce myself before everyone thought they knew who I was.<\/p>\n

I watched as kids furtively glanced at me and then quickly looked away. The \u201c9\/11 girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t want to be defined by a tragedy, yet I wanted to honor Dad. He too was more than just the person he was on that terrible day. I wanted to be my own person.<\/p>\n

I hoped to find my identity starting college. Isn\u2019t that what kids are meant to do in college? Find themselves? But once again the date loomed: September 11. Now, if I was going to make a clean start, I had to get to the memorial service without anyone on campus making a big deal about it.<\/p>\n

Outside my dorm I spotted the car with my mother and two sisters. I jumped in so we could make the short drive to Boston\u2019s Public Garden.<\/p>\n

Slouched in the backseat, I thought about the memorial services I\u2019d attended in the last four years. There had been so many that they were starting to fade into one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will always remember,\u201d politicians often said. But each year there was more I couldn\u2019t recall. The pain was less, but even that seemed sad, in a different kind of way. How am I supposed to feel? What would Dad want me to remember?<\/em><\/p>\n

Two years ago on 9\/11 we had come to BC to dedicate a labyrinth in memory of the 22 alumni killed. Mom graduated from BC, class of \u201976, so a portion of the memorial honored Dad.<\/p>\n

I too had picked BC by then. A speaker told how the labyrinth was a Christian symbol of the twists and turns of life\u2019s journey. Somehow it was comforting to know it would be there for me.<\/p>\n

God<\/em>, I prayed, help me find the path to take in my life<\/em>. Yet as Mom turned into the Public Garden I felt so lost.<\/p>\n

We joined the hundreds of others already there. Sitting near the front I craned my neck. The crowd seemed a bit smaller each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad we\u2019re here,\u201d I told Mom. \u201cAlready you can tell this is just another day for some people. They\u2019ve stopped coming. I don\u2019t want people to forget 9\/11\u2014or Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand, honey,\u201d she said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t take that burden all on yourself. Besides, there are lots of ways to honor someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At 8:40 a.m. the mayor solemnly laid a wreath of remembrance. Then five minutes later we paused for a moment of silence, just as the entire world had stopped that Tuesday morning. Closing my eyes I relived the day, like I had so many times before:<\/p>\n

Dad leaving our 150-acre farm early, before I was awake, to pilot an 8 a.m. flight from Logan Airport to L.A\u2026.the announcement as school was starting\u2026a counselor coming to take me out of class\u2026a blur\u2014people at the house crying and hugging, the memorial services, the media\u2014that lasted for weeks\u2026then going back to school, my identity sealed: The Pilot\u2019s Daughter.<\/p>\n

The service ended and we walked back to the car. I heard Mom\u2019s words again, about finding other ways to honor Dad.<\/p>\n

On the drive back to the campus I said, \u201cIt\u2019s funny. Most of the time when I think of Dad it\u2019s not about him as a pilot at all. What I see is him driving the tractor at home and playing with us kids. That\u2019s who he really was, a farmer and a dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Mom said. \u201cThe farm is where he felt most at home. It\u2019s really where he felt closest to God. He loved everything about farming. He loved the feeling that he was giving something back, but he got so much out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In front of my dorm building I gave everyone a hug, especially Mom. \u201cI miss Dad so much,\u201d I whispered to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe too,\u201d Mom said. \u201cHe would be so proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back in my room I was relieved to see my roommate was out. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. I remembered how my father had mentored immigrant farmers, not only working with them and giving advice but sharing his land for them to grow their native crops.<\/p>\n

Dad, a former transport pilot in Vietnam, chose to mentor farmers from Southeast Asia. He threw himself into a federal support program for immigrant farmers, so much so that when he was killed, it was named in his honor.<\/p>\n

Mom was right. One of Dad\u2019s jobs was flying jets, but his life was about helping others. He was an amazing guy. He was so much more than just one of the hijacked pilots on 9\/11.<\/p>\n

I was so lost in thought I barely noticed when my roommate walked in the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow was the thing you went to?\u201d my roommate said. Was she looking at me funny or was it just me?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fine,\u201d I said, scrambling to get my guard up. \u201cHow\u2019s your day been?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been good,\u201d she said, but her mouth kind of twitched, like there was something else she wanted to say. \u201cI was watching TV this morning and I saw you at the memorial service. Was your dad the pilot on Flight 11? I wish I had known.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d tried so hard to avoid this conversation. With a sigh I said, \u201cIt\u2019s just a hard thing to talk about. I was really hoping to get to know you better first. And I wanted you to get to know me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I could see she was trying to think of what to say. \u201cI understand,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was just kind of shocking to see my roommate on TV. Listen, the reason why I came back is I\u2019ve been out with some other students collecting money for Hurricane Katrina victims. Want to help?\u201d<\/p>\n

Helping others. That\u2019s what Dad was all about. What better way to honor him today! Would it help with these feelings?<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d I said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know how great that sounds.\u201d I headed out with her.<\/p>\n

After some orientation we all spread across campus. I walked up to a student and introduced myself. \u201cHi, my name is Caroline. I\u2019m a freshman here and I\u2019m collecting money for people hurt by the hurricane. Would you be willing to help?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d he said, digging five dollars out of his jeans. \u201cI\u2019d love to do something. Maybe I\u2019ll see you around campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

By evening I\u2019d raised over a hundred dollars.<\/p>\n

Heading across campus I thought about the afternoon. It left me with a kind of tingling feeling inside. For years it had been me on the receiving end of people\u2019s sympathy. It was well-meant sympathy, but it was also a kind of wall, a 9\/11 wall.<\/p>\n

Now here I was doing something to help other people hurt by senseless tragedy. I had met dozens of new people, none of whom saw me as anything but a college student. It felt good. Actually, it felt incredible.<\/p>\n

I was walking back to the dorm when I saw the labyrinth on my left. I walked over to it. At the entrance I again read the verse inscribed there, from Isaiah, one of Dad\u2019s favorites. \u201cThey that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles\u2019 wings\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Dad was always happiest when he was doing something for others, when he was working for a common good. It was as if I were looking down a long row of a freshly plowed field, my father\u2019s tractor far in the distance.<\/p>\n

I realized how I could best honor Dad\u2019s memory, following a row already tilled for me. Could I find my identity within 9\/11? Could it actually hold the seeds for who I wanted to be in life? It was hard to believe.<\/p>\n

Pulling out my cell phone I called Mom. \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about Dad a lot today, about 9\/11 and who I want to be. I think I partially know the answer. I\u2019d like to do work where I\u2019m helping other people, people who have been in tragedies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mom was silent for a moment. Then she said, \u201cCaroline, I think that\u2019s wonderful. It\u2019s funny because even when you were a little girl that\u2019s how your dad and I saw you.<\/p>\n

“I remember when you were only two years old and I was pregnant with your sister you put a blanket around me when I wasn\u2019t feeling well. You\u2019ve always been such a caring person. Just like your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I hung up the phone there was that tingling feeling again.<\/p>\n

I graduated last spring, and as another school year begins I\u2019m preparing to earn a master\u2019s in counseling psychology at Boston College, in hopes of working with children dealing with trauma.<\/p>\n

For the last four years I\u2019ve volunteered for the Red Cross, urging college students to give blood. I\u2019m becoming my own person, the one my dad would have wanted me to be.<\/p>\n

This year on September 11 our family will gather at the farm for a more private ceremony. Far from the roar of the city, it\u2019s not a place that stirs memories of 9\/11. But I\u2019ve learned that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the perfect spot for me to honor a farmer, a pilot, my dad, a caring man, whose love guides me to this day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I quietly closed the door of my freshman dorm room behind me at Boston College, but not before I glanced back at the photo of Dad and me. The one of me as a girl sitting on his lap in the cockpit of a 767. I wish you were here, Dad, I thought as I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[76,51,70,205,22],"ppma_author":[841],"class_list":["post-22625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coping-with-grief","tag-father","tag-inspirational-stories","tag-mother","tag-sister","tag-spring"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot - Guideposts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I quietly closed the door of my freshman dorm room behind me at Boston College, but not before I glanced back at the photo of Dad and me. The one of me as a girl sitting on his lap in the cockpit of a 767. I wish you were here, Dad, I thought as I […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Guideposts Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"866\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Caroline Ogonowski\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Neeraj Rai\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f0862e0bfb5f72f571ea4d005001f0be\"},\"headline\":\"The Daughter of the 9\\\/11 Pilot\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1850,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/ogonowski.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Father\",\"Inspirational Stories\",\"Mother\",\"Sister\",\"Spring\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Coping With Grief\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Daughter of the 9\\\/11 Pilot - Guideposts Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/ogonowski.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/ogonowski.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/ogonowski.jpg\",\"width\":1540,\"height\":866,\"caption\":\"Caroline Ogonowski\\\/photo: Laura Barisonzi\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Positive Living\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Health and Wellness\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Life Advice\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Coping With Grief\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/positive-living\\\/health-and-wellness\\\/life-advice\\\/coping-with-grief\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"The Daughter of the 9\\\/11 Pilot\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"description\":\"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Guideposts Articles\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/gp-logo-white.svg\",\"caption\":\"Guideposts Articles\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gpbookstore.org\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f0862e0bfb5f72f571ea4d005001f0be\",\"name\":\"Neeraj Rai\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g0c0183ebd910e29ad96a4a5994cce5d4\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Neeraj Rai\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/guideposts.org\\\/articles\\\/author\\\/neeraj\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot - Guideposts Articles","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot","og_description":"I quietly closed the door of my freshman dorm room behind me at Boston College, but not before I glanced back at the photo of Dad and me. The one of me as a girl sitting on his lap in the cockpit of a 767. I wish you were here, Dad, I thought as I […]","og_url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/","og_site_name":"Guideposts Articles","article_published_time":"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1540,"height":866,"url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Caroline Ogonowski","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/"},"author":{"name":"Neeraj Rai","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/f0862e0bfb5f72f571ea4d005001f0be"},"headline":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot","datePublished":"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/"},"wordCount":1850,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg","keywords":["Father","Inspirational Stories","Mother","Sister","Spring"],"articleSection":["Coping With Grief"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/","url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/","name":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot - Guideposts Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-11T13:19:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-22T21:42:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ogonowski.jpg","width":1540,"height":866,"caption":"Caroline Ogonowski\/photo: Laura Barisonzi"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/the-daughter-of-the-9-11-pilot\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Positive Living","item":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Health and Wellness","item":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Life Advice","item":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Coping With Grief","item":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/positive-living\/health-and-wellness\/life-advice\/coping-with-grief\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"The Daughter of the 9\/11 Pilot"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","name":"Guideposts Articles","description":"Strengthening Faith. Providing Hope.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#organization","name":"Guideposts Articles","url":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gp-logo-white.svg","caption":"Guideposts Articles"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gpbookstore.org\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/f0862e0bfb5f72f571ea4d005001f0be","name":"Neeraj Rai","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g0c0183ebd910e29ad96a4a5994cce5d4","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18c0b5a06458f26c764f5a7451f1774cfb282943f2f36a00c9a801809489005c?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","caption":"Neeraj Rai"},"url":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/author\/neeraj\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":841,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"caroline-ogonowski","display_name":"Caroline Ogonowski","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fguideposts.org%2Farticles%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fguideposts%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fdefault-avatar.png&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22625"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38438,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22625\/revisions\/38438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22625"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guideposts.org\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=22625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}