So as some of you may know - I only mentioned it once or twice - but recently I spent a week in New York City on a family holiday. When we were there one of the main things that we all wanted to do was visit the 9/11 memorial and museum. As today is the anniversary of September 11th, I thought it would be the perfect time to put a post together of my photos and thoughts from my day remembering those who lost their lives on 9/11.
I have always wanted to stand at the 9/11 memorial pools, simply just to pay my respects and remember those who lost their lives. To me no matter what your opinion on the entire 9/11 event is, people still lost their lives and it's important to pay your respects to them. When we came to the first pool, which is in the footprint of the South tower, I was suddenly overwhelmed with a wash of sadness. I came across a white rose and a sign that said those who maintain the 9/11 memorial and museum put white roses on the names of those victims whose birthday it is that day - it just made the whole experience more real.
It's very hard to explain to anybody who hasn't been but the entire memorial is simply breathtaking. The sheer size of each pool is beyond anything I could ever have imagined and really no matter how many times I saw it on tv I just never had a true idea of what I would be standing infront of. I think having running water as a way to memorialise that day is the perfect fitting. There is a purity and innocence that comes from standing, watching and listening to the water fall in gentle streams from each side. In many ways to me it symbolises all the tears that have been shed and continue to be shed each year.
I don't think I can write this post without mentioning 'Freedom Tower' also known as the One World Observatory. It's one of the most spectacular buildings I think I have ever seen. From the moment the New York City horizon came into sight on my entry from New Jersey it just hit me that that building is New York's way of saying we will always rise up and we will always be better than we were - we will not be beaten.
I am going to be doing several more posts about my New York trip, I enjoyed it so much and took so many pictures that I want to share with you all that I just can't help myself. For this reason I am going to save the pictures of the views from the 101st floor of One World Observatory until another time.
We spent a number of hours slowly walking around the 9/11 Tribute Museum and I have to say I left a much more humble person than when I went in. Nobody should ever be afraid to shed a tear when walking around. There are so many reasons that you can become emotional and that's why there are boxes of tissues placed around the entire building - we all know it's going to be an overwhelming experience.
I feel that for the rest of this post the pictures should do the talking but if there are areas where I feel that anything needs a simple explanation then I will include it.
We should never let that tragic day slip our minds. We should never let those families who will grieve for the rest of their lives leave our hearts. We can only become stronger if we unite and act as one. There is no single act or person who can defeat us when the greater good will always outweigh the evil.
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