We won't forget. Even when 365 days becomes 3,650 days, all of us will carry images from Sept. 11, 2001. Among my strongest memories are the conversations. Sitting in a hotel room in Washington, D.C., CNN on the TV, NPR in the background, hooked up to the Internet, dialing over and over again on my cell phone. Calling loved ones. Checking in on friends. Talking with colleagues. Are you all right? Where are you? Who did this? Why did they do this? Conversation after conversation.

Since then, so much has happened. The overthrow of the Taliban, and the war on terrorism. The hostilities between Israel and Palestine. The recession and bear market. The corporate accounting scandals. The crisis of the Catholic Church. The threat to invade Iraq.

But we've also witnessed the start of another school year. Politicians are stumping for our vote. Consumers are spending record sums on homes, refinancing their mortgages, and buying new wheels. Millions of babies have been born, millions of marriages forged, and millions of divorces filed.

It's striking how durable the institutions of democratic capitalism proved to be, from the reopening of the New York Stock Exchange to partisan policy debates on Capital Hill. America, to the founding fathers, was a bold adventure, a monumental gamble, a Republic dedicated to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Of course, our history has been marred by racism, poverty, and other injustices. Yet the vision of America as a land of opportunity flourishes because of the country's economic abundance, social mobility, and democratic institutions. It's an unlikely source, but the Bank for International Settlements, a central bank for central bankers founded in the turbulent 1930s, got it right with the title, "Unexpected Resilience to Unexpected Events."

Life is risky, from falling in love to the sudden eruption of violence. We can't get rid of the uncertainty. But we can manage it. Saving, investing, spending, and giving wisely is how we can preserve a measure of choice and dignity over the years and for when catastrophe strikes. That's why we advocate—and we will continue to advocate—the economic benefits of diversification. By not putting all your eggs in one basket, you can create financial resilience to unexpected events.

September 11 also taught us what we've always known, but sometimes forget. Sure, being smart with money matters. But the real wealth of the nation is family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and community.

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