Finding The Light in 9/11
BY SHANNA POLIGNONE
Lisa Luckett’s life shattered on September 11, 2001. As the first plane struck the World Trade Center, Lisa witnessed America’s greatest tragedy on television as well as her own. Lisa whispered the words, “Goodbye Teddy, I love you,” surrounded by her close friends as the buildings fell that morning. Her husband Teddy headed to his office at Cantor Fitzgerald earlier that day. As he left the house, the happily married couple said their morning goodbye, calling one another
“soulmates.” Lisa watched him leave, not knowing this would be the last time she would see Teddy. Though she could have easily fallen into despair, Lisa instead chose to pursue light and positivity in the face of tragedy. In her new book The Light in 9/11 - Shocked By Kindness, Healed By Love, she shares a deeply personal journey of preparation, friends, community, and taking the right steps toward recovery and beginning a new normal. Lisa met Teddy in the 1980s; both building successful sales careers in New York City. They soon fell in love and began building a life together, which led to the Lucketts moving to New Jersey in 1997. The couple chose to start a new life in Fair Haven. Lisa and Teddy soon made friends through local events and became actively involved in the community. Though Lisa grew up in Rumson, she admits that she was always attracted to the idea of living in Fair Haven. “Fair Haven is a very special, old-world community,” she said. “You have everything you need, and you only have to leave town to go to the (Rumson) pharmacy.”
Lisa Luckett (right) with friend Amy Milnes of Middletown at River Road Books in Fair Haven at her recent book signing.
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After Teddy’s tragic passing, Lisa decided to find a way to find light in her life rather than sink into despair. She credits her friends, family, and the community in Fair Haven for sustaining her through this difficult time.
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“It’s a tight-knit community,” Lisa shared. “The unbelievable love, energy, and support was bolstering to me. Fair Haven is a village, and it doesn’t let its people fall. This community saved me.” Within minutes of the first plane striking, neighbors and friends quickly filled the Luckett home and stood by Lisa’s side. Through this experience, she decided to embrace life as a gift and to not allow Teddy or other 9/11 victims die in vain. “The loving support that you get is the lifeline that keeps you from falling into the abyss of despair and hopelessness,” Lisa said. “We can’t be stuck there, this life is too great a gift.” Seventeen years have passed, and she is ready to share her story, as well as her journey to recovery, with the world.
Lisa and Teddy Luckett in the summer of 1999.
