Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts

Sunday, September 11, 2022

A Day of Remembrance - For Two Reasons

I've had the privilege of seeing the 9/11 Memorial 3 times. Well, once it was still Ground Zero. Our family visited in 2004 and they hadn't quite started rebuilding yet.





We went again twice last year. Once when Sharaya and I went back to Pennsylvania in May to help Diana shop for her wedding dress, and then Chuck, Beth, Ally, Sharaya and I went two days after the wedding. That time we went into the museum as well. It's a humbling, solemn experience.
 
 May 2022
 

 
 September 24, 2022
 


Three years ago today, September 11, 2019 my dad passed away. He was 95. He fought in WWII, had 4 daughters and lived a long, full life. He and I were very close and when he was put on hospice I flew to San Diego to be with him and my sisters. I'm so grateful I got to be there to say goodbye. Love you dad.
 


Friday, October 15, 2021

9/11 Museum

Once we found parking we headed straight to the 9/11 museum and had to show proof of vaccination before going inside. It's hard to describe how I was feeling when we entered: a little excited to finally be there, solemn because of where we were and nervous about the kind of things we were about to see.




Sometimes Sharaya and Ally would catch up to where I was or I'd catch up to them and I'd always hear her teaching, explaining. She's such a good mom.






Many of the things were hard to believe, were we really seeing what we were seeing?



As we walked around we kept seeing this area that was blocked off, it was like a path...

I was shocked when I realized it was the original foundation of one of the twin towers! When you look at these aerial views, the center building is where you enter the museum, but then you go down a flight of stairs, (right next to The Survivors Stairs) and you're actually under the fountains. The main part of the museum is under ground, but you never know it when you're there.


 (Thank you again Google.)

 

We spent about an hour and a half and still didn't see everything. The picture of the original foundation? You can see like a little bridge or ramp, crossing the foundation? That takes you to a door where the main part of the museum is. You aren't allowed to take pictures in there but there is so much more. There's a window pane, still in the framing that didn't break! The window is still intact!

There are eye glasses, shoes, letterhead, briefcases - because people were at work... sometimes I just stood there crying. Sometimes I'd forget to breathe. It was... indescribable. 


After a while we made our way outside to the memorials ~






Then it was back into the car and we began the drive back to Philadelphia. Even now, I'm not even sure how to end this post. I'm still processing some of the things I saw, trying to imagine what people were thinking and feeling as they saw those towers go down...

Sunday, May 23, 2021

A Whirlwind, 20 Years, and You've Got Mail

The day after Diana found her dress we decided to go to New York. We drove to the Rahway Train station and rode into the city. We walked around Central Park, that place is huge! We walked with Sharaya as far as the Met. She could probably spend all day there! Then Diana and I turned and headed out of the park. There was a bakery she wanted to take me to and we decided to go there for brunch.





The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Diana actually has a drawing of this hanging in her house!

On our way to the bakery we stopped on a sidewalk and Diana goes, "I think this is where they filmed You've Got Mail. Near the end when he says, 'As long as we both shall live.'" I go, "Yes! And where he tells her 'he' could be the zipper man. 'She'd never have to buy new luggage again!'" I think you're right Diana! This has to be the street! We got to the bakery and Diana was so disappointed that it was closed for renovations. Then I realized why. It was the place in the movie when they decide to meet and she waits inside with a rose and a book... "If you don't like Kathleen Kelly you aren't going to like this girl. Because it IS Kathleen Kelly." That's the bakery!!! Oh my gosh!! And then I was really disappointed too. And we had just watched it on TV the night before! Amazing! (Little did I know the girls had planned the whole thing. They streamed the movie, it wasn't actually on TV!) Have I told you how much I adore my daughters?! 💖


 

We finally found a place for lunch and Sharaya met us there. Then we took an Uber to One World Trade Center. We had visited there back in 2004 when they were just beginning to rebuild.


I just saw this picture in my scrapbook...

 And realized Sharaya took this one last week from the same angle.
 



We wished we'd had more time so we're planning to go back again in September. We got another Uber to take us to the train station, then rode 45 minutes back Rahway and Diana took us to the airport. It was a whirlwind weekend but one I will always remember!

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 attacks

Did you ever see the Twin Towers?

Have you been to the 9/11 Memorial in New York?