Thing 17

We all remember where we were on 9/11.  It was my generation's day of infamy.
Some people don't mind watching the video clips over and over, or seeing documentaries on the event.  For me, I find it incredibly difficult to relive that day.  My world changed and for awhile, everything stopped.

Now, 10 years later, my eldest is old enough to understand the events of that day.  We live 30 miles from the epicenter, where those two towers used to stand tall.  Just last week, we visited the site, and fortunately for me, we were unable to see much due to the large fence encasing the area.  It never would have dawned on me that ten years later we'd be emotionally invested in this event in a different kind of way.

Where we live, thousand of people comment into NYC every day.  Given that fact, it's highly likely that people around us either lost someone they love, or know someone who lost a loved one on that fateful day.
That day defined history for all of us, but for the people here, it was a catastrophic definition.  Their backyard was attacked that morning, and it shook the people of this region in a way that we who were thousands of miles away, could never understand.

We opted to attend a Sunday evening church service this weekend.  Figuring there'd be some sort of a 9/11 tribute, we were prepared for something.  We couldn't have envisioned what took place, however.  Two large cranes in front of the sanctuary held up the largest American flag I'd ever seen.  Surrounding the cranes were a plethora of first responders; fire men, police men and EMTs.  Would you be surprised  to learn that my eyes were moist walking into the church?

A packed church welcomed us, and at the beginning of the service, the first responders walked in as a unit, followed by a lone bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace".  There wasn't a dry eye in the place.  The entire service was a memorial with testimonies from various responders who were there, as well as a 9/11 widow.

It was a beautiful tribute and the right way to honor those that fell that day.  Had we been living anywhere else, I'm positive there wouldn't have been the same attention paid to the memory.

Thing 17 about this move, is the opportunity to reflect and remember those that fell on 9/11.  This locale provides for us, the chance to experience it with new eyes and a better understanding of the damage done that day.  May we never forget.