Homewood mother shares importance of forgiveness after losing son in 9/11 attacks

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Every year, the cities of Homewood, Vestavia, and Mountain Brook put on the Patriot Day Ceremony to honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

This year, Melissa Turnage was the guest speaker. Turnage lost her son, Adam, in the terrorist attacks. Adam worked for a banking and investment company in the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

“Fun, full of life, energetic, loved everything he was doing, handsome, creative. He was a big package,” said Turnage.

Turnage said she will always have a hole in her heart, but forgiving the men responsible for the attacks has made her grief easier.

“If I had not been able to forgive the terrorists, I would still be in a horrible state of grieving,” said Turnage.

On Monday, she shared how the power of forgiveness can change the outlook on life. She hopes anyone who hears her story is more forgiving in their everyday lives.

“If you allow yourself to release some of that. That could be 10 years from now, or 20. It doesn’t matter. At some point in your life, to let that easily go.”

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