This morning, I realized that I never shared my photos from NYC.  Since next Tuesday is the anniversary of the attacks on September 11, I thought it fitting to share photos of our visit to the 9/11 Memorial.

When visiting the memorial, visitors must request tickets from the preview site, which are free and only require reserving a day and time.

Before entering the site, everyone undergoes airport-like security.  Allan and I utilized the time to remind our girls to be respectful and on their best behavior as this place was hallowed ground like that of a cemetery.

Thousands of people died here.  Many heroes, firefighters and police officers, risked their lives to save others.  Some loved ones were never found and some remains are still buried here.

We told the girls that they might see people making rubbings of their loved ones’ names.

We also explained that this is a very sad place and they should expect to see people crying and mourning for their loss.

But I don’t think my children expected to see their own mom cry.  It was such a somber experience and I became overwhelmed with emotion.  I found myself tearing up quite a few times as images of that horrific day eleven years ago flashed in my mind.

Through it all, one tree survived.

Ghostly names chiseled into granite cascade into an abyss of where the north and south towers once stood.

Though much of the memorial site still needs to be completed, I applaud the city of New York for the magnificent memorial they built to honor those lost as a result of the attacks on 9/11 and the lives lost during the bombing in 1993.

 

Never forget.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+