In Remembrance:

I've been thinking about this day for a long time...on what to blog. I'm still not really sure. It's been 8 years. 9 years and 25 days since I walked in the lobby of the North Tower. 8 years since my friend was too sick that morning to take the subway straight to the North Tower---where I had told her to go to buy tickets to a Broadway musical. And now it's been 1 year and 5 months since visiting again. This all seems so important...and yet so minimal at the same time.

I watched "We are Marshall" a couple weeks ago. There was a line that the "head coach" said in the movie--the coach who replaced the head coach who died in the plane crash. He said something to the extent that when we play the game, without thinking about "them" (the victims) every morning...that is the day we truly honor their memory. But, I don't know that I agree with that. I think more about the thousands of names...pictures and names...and do we honor them?

So, with the inability to truly honor as one might want to--I include this link as a way to honor and remember those who died that day:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/

And--So we never forget--what can never be forgotten:







Talking to my mother a while ago--we talked about that day. I remembered the video above--I saw it years ago for the first time on You Tube. And I talked about the preparations that must have taken place "beyond the veil"---just for that day "imagine the spirits....and the planning...the preparation it took". I told my mom about a story one survivor shared...about a woman who approached her in the stairwell. She was tired, and did not think she could go any further. The lady took her by the arm and said something like "now it's time for you to run--we'll run together. But you have to run." I've heard this story from this same lady more than once on one of the 9/11 shows one of the cable channels have put together. She talked about how once she was outside the building...soon afterward that lady left her--once she was safe, telling her she was "safe now". She did not know that lady, and did not know what happened to that lady. I've heard other similar stories (both related and not related to that day)...even experienced something similar myself (although I was not in anywhere as much danger as that lady was). Hearing that story just makes me think about the heralds of those helping that day. Helping the living---helping those going to the other side of the veil. Helping the survivors...the survivor's families--and the victim's families. Helping those of us who so desperately wanted to figure out what was happening...and how to help. Helping those of us who just didn't know what to think...or what to do. Helping us now....

Finally--I think about the song below. Diana Sawyer did a special for a couple years after 9/11, where she followed the babies of 9/11 widows/widowers. I think they followed until they were about 2. But, 1 year later (I think it was a year later)...as I was still trying to wrap my head around things, I sat in my classroom late that night...of course, trying to put things together again (curriculum---mainly). I turned on the TV that night...hoping I could get something...cause I could not stand to sit in the room quiet. And, I was able to watch the special....showing these sweet little toddlers "dancing"....and they put together a music video to this song--set it up as a message from their "daddies and mommies"--that their parent who died on 9/11 hoped "they danced". I sat and sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. I have never forgotten that....ever. So, in remembrance of those children...their parents, the victims, the survivors...and so on....I hope they--and we--in remembrance--somehow, someday can "dance".