A day to remember

Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11/2001.

I grew up in NYC. The WTC towers are part of my lived experience.  I would travel by subway to them at least 1X a year. Sometimes, often it was many many more times.

By 2001, I was living in Boise. But, the attack on the WTC was not yhe first time that those buildings were a target. So, seeing the reports on replay after I woke up was at first unbelievable.  Then, I saw the current feed and was in pure shock. 

I immediately called my family. But, of course I couldn’t get through. So, I had to wait until I could. I would learn that none in my immediate family were harmed… not physically… and not that day.

My oldest sister was a NYPD officer on 9/11. She was on patrol that morning. Either coming off duty, or just coming on. Whichever it was doesn’t matter, because she like her brothers and sisters in arms went into action. She did what she was trained to do. And for weeks/months after that day she did her duty in and around ground zero.

In February 2002, I flew home to say goodbye to my grandfather that had passed away. On a day when my sister had to go into the city for work, I went with her. I walked toward ground zero. As you got closer to the impact zone, the atmosphere changed. It was a war zone. Buildings were boarded up. Makeshift memorials were in the buildings that survived. I walked until I hit the river. Before heading back, I took in the landscape around me. I left a piece of my heart there that day. Knowing I had friends and neighbors among those lost. I picked a slightly different way back to where I was to meet my sister to head back to the suburbs. And, saw more of the city that 6 months later was already rebuilding and would come out to be stronger.

During construction of the current tower and memorial, I would visit the area. It was amazing to see the changes over time. Since completion… I haven’t been back to the trade center or the memorial.  But, like the rest of the world… I’ve seen the skyline change.

I will never forget and the next trip home, I will take the pilgrimage to the memorial and see the view from the tower.