We're All in This Together

As it happened, Sandy turned out to be every bit the horrific storm it had been anticipated in the worst case scenario. Among the hardest hit was New York City.

There are lessons to be learned from this tragic occurrence as there can be from most all hardships in life. Lessons not only for New York City's residents but for all Americans. What it took for us to minimize the harm is to work together for the common good. To help each other during the worse moments. And then to come together to begin to fix our broken infrastructure, our broken homes, our broken hearts. We learned that again in this city and in this country on 9/11 a decade ago. We learned that yet one more time when the financial tsunami hit our shores in 2008. And so, the constant lessons we keep learning must not be forgotten or ignored: and the most central one is, we're all in this together.

America wins when we come together as a family -- when we harness our energies, our enterprising spirit, our hard work and our good natures to foster a common good. When simple common sense overrides ideology. When being good people trumps our self-interest. This is America at our best.

Can we now harness this energy and put it to use in our daily lives? Is it not worth a serious effort to try? Aren't we still in the middle of a larger economic storm that requires all of us to think about how we can change what we do to make life better for everyone, not just for the members of our tribe? It all starts with what you and I decide to do starting tomorrow morning. Are we up for the game?