9/11 family members take center stage

Thursday marked the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but more than a decade later family members are still working to cope with their respective losses.

"While today will recall painful memories, let us also fill the hours celebrating the lives of loved ones taken too soon," Joe Daniels, president of the 9/11 Memorial, said on Thursday in a statement. "Let us relive the compassion felt on that day and the days that followed, and honor the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who risked their lives to save others."

Families of 9/11 victims are also being asked to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which opened in May, as part of the commemoration.

The museum displays a number of exhibits that are central to telling the story of the attacks and their continuing global significance.

Throughout the ceremony, relatives of the deceased took turns listing off the names of the victims and speaking about their respective loved ones.