September 11th Ten Year Anniversary

On September 11th, 2001: I was living in Sacramento, had just graduated High School and was attending the local junior college. I was staying at my best friends house and her Father Larry (who is a born and raised New Yorker) woke me up that morning with terror in his eyes. I have never so much as seen Larry tear up my entire life and I could only imagine what had him so quiet and filled with...emotion! I have known Larry since I was 8 years old and traveled with him and his family almost inseparably. As he brought me to the television without a word, leading me by the hand I finally saw. Something in me felt as though he was fully grasping the immensity of this tragedy, I felt so on the surface and superficial about it all as I couldn't take in all of what was happening in this reality, in our reality. I saw the depth of his emotions without tears, but at the same time it ran so much deeper than I ever would have imagined. And so, he and I watched the absolute horror unfold before us on the television. When we watched the second plain hit, for just a moment Larry stopped breathing, I dont remember what I did but I do remember the feeling of my stomach dropping and twisting into knots. Sitting next to him, I felt his pain, I felt his fear. My New Yorker that I loved so dearly was mourning already! And so I mourned with him, for his home that he loved so dearly, for those that he was so worried about, for the peace that we all lost that day, and for the precious lives that were lost and for those who were left behind with a hole in their hearts that would never be filled. Together with my New Yorker I cried! 
In honor of what our country experienced on September 11th just 10 years ago (which at times still feels like yesterday!) Today is dedicated to celebrating the lives of those that were lost and in celebrating the life that is our most precious gift today. So, all I can ask of you my dear readers is that wherever you may go...go in peace! I wish you all good health, peace and love!

photo courtesy of: worldpittsburgh.wordpress.com

I choose this picture as I thought it was an incredibly powerful moment in our history. The lights stand like ghosts giving us all a soft image of what was lost and what no longer will be.