The Memorial With Love and Respect

NO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIME, Virgil

I saw it in his eyes, as he passed on a vivid memory to his ten-year old son, the shock and terror of seeing those planes fly into the Twin Towers. As he pointed to pictures, scenes, burned fire engines, badges of heroism, melted steel beams, the story unfolded.  The sadness, the heartbreak for those who died during the attacks of 911, filled his eyes with tears and his heart with questions; Why? What animal lives to kill and die at his own hands?  How do we share with our children this tragedy, and then pray that they never experience or witness such horror?

I have no answers, but those who worked there repeated this thought, "Please, we don't want to forget what happened here. Pass this history onto your children. Remind them that we live in American, the land of the free and the brave." Between where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood, a concrete wall sparkling with sky blue tile now exists. It stands out as every visitor walks down the stairs to the lower level. Behind the wall is the repository of nearly 8,000 unidentified human remains. The quote, though controversial for classicists, pulls at the heart strings when read over and over.  The message is clear, we shall not forget.        Virgil's quote

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." I hope I live long enough to see that happen. 

One World Trade Center

Spending an early Christmas with our son, Matt, in New York City turned into a family vacation.  Our grandson, Isaac, wanted to see New York, with the goal of visiting every state before he graduates. We arrived expecting winter's blast in December, but we walked the streets in balmy sixty degree weather.  We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on foot; walked through the Twin Towers Memorial; shed our tears as we stood by the moving water falls outside; agreed that the water soothed the soul; then walked to Battery Park and visited The Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, all before dinner on day one.  

Though our feet felt wearing and flattened by the concrete steps, we carried ourselves from Battery Park northward to Wall Street where the glitter of Christmas began to come to life. Afterall, the meaning of Christmas is clear even in the crowded city streets and stores.

"Love and time are the only two things in this world that cannot be bought, only spent."  --Gary Jennings