Remember

About a year ago I was fortunate enough to travel with Kevin to New York City. In our quick two day trip we did some touring that focused on 9-11.

We went to see ground zero from the back of St Pauls Chapel. The large construction area around ground zero was fenced off with high barricades so a passerby could not see inside. At the time we were there, the new sky scraper was at its beginnings of being built. But even though we could not see the details of the sight, as we stood in the cemetary behind St Pauls we could experience the huge emtiness of a city that once stood and was now being rebuilt.

This little chapel that borders ground zero was a place where 10 years ago fire fighters took naps, where volunteers brought food, where people cried, where new friends were made, all in the aftermath of a great tragedy. It was also a place where pictures were laid of those who were lost on September 11th so they could be prayed for and remembered. The alter still stands decorated with those pictures. It was a very hard thing to see. And we stayed in the chapel and prayed for those people and their loved ones we met thru those photos that day.

One of the first things Kevin and I did after we arrived in New York was to go to the Ground Zero Museum Workshop. Located in the Meat Packing district, it is quite a distance from where the World Trade Center stood. The museum was built in a photographer's studio. A New York photographer named Gary Suson who was invited to be the sole person to capture the images of the firefighters during the nine months of clean up and recovery at ground zero. After his experience he was inspired by the Anne Frank Museum to share his photos with the world. You can find more about his story here. All the profits from the museum go to help the NYFD families that suffered losses because of 9-11. In the museum there are no photos of the planes crashing into the buildings or of images of the towers crumbling to the ground. The museum is described to be a place of healing and remembrance for those who served, suffered, and lost their lives.

This one room museum that only allows approximately 25 visitors at a time, is filled with photos and artifacts that were collected by Mr Suson during the recovery effort. Visitors are allowed an intimate experience getting up close to the displays, and are allowed to photograph anything in the museum that they would like, except one item. That is a tangled piece of metal from one of the airplanes that caused the destruction. Thru recorded messages the photographer himself tells the stories that he experienced as he looked thru his lens. There are so many I wish I could share. Most were moving, some were funny, all captured our attention. I was wondering if Kevin would enjoy the museum. That question was answered when he continued to listen to the stories and look at the photos during our 2 hour visit...we were the last of our group to leave. I learned so much and gained such respect for those men and women who put their life on the line, and continued to fight to clean up ground zero afterwards, it was truly a fight.

It amazed me what things survived while lives were lost.

And I cried as I listened to the stories of the brothers and fathers that searched day after day for the remains of their family.

What I learned most from this museum was that September 11th did not end any where near that day. As most of America started moving on with their lives weeks and months after the event, thinking of the death and destruction less frequently, there were, and still are, others that it slaps in the face every day, every hour, and every minute.

May we never forget.