A Decade After: 9/11 A Celebration of Life

I am currently watching the reading of names of the 9/11 victims in New York city as I am writing this blog, I cannot help but be sad and shed genuine tears for the loss of innocent lives. I am reflecting a little bit as each of their surviving family members and friends were reading their names and saying short remarks about how they were missed, and some are even asking them for guidance from heaven. It tears my heart especially when the kids were reading the names of their moms, dads, aunts and uncles who were killed on that tragic day ten years ago. I could just imagine that they were still young kids at that time and some were still in their mom's womb. Yesterday I watched the solemn ceremony from Shanksville, PA where the brave American passengers stopped the terrorists from attacking the White House in DC.

I know that this infamous event changed us, it changed America and the whole world but for what it's worth I believe that it made America a much more stronger nation. This event brought the best in Americans particularly New Yorkers. It also made us aware that heroes and genuine friends live among us. They were the ones who gave up their lives so we may live and they are those that sacrificed their lives on the Shanksville plane crash. Bravo to the first responders of the FDNY, NYPD, religious clergy, EMS and ordinary people who acted with strong zeal and courage to help save lives that day!!! You will never be forgotten.

My blog today would like to condole with the loss of these innocent and good lives and yet I would also like on a much bigger scale to CELEBRATE THE LIFE of these victims (World Trade Center, Shanksville crash and the Pentagon). Life because I believe that each of the victims inspired us to be brave and to be always mindful how precious life is and that ordinary people can be heroes. I know that they are in a good place and I know that they will be with us forever. Let us respectfully mourn their loss, let us say a prayer and celebrate their life through their memories. God bless all of us!!!

PICTURE: For this article I used a photo of white flowers. I like the immaculate white flowers to symbolize purity and peace, life and hope and inspiration from the the victims of 9/11.

Photo: White Flowers of 9/11
Photographer: Alvin de la Pena

Where Were You on Sept. 11th, 2001?

Where were you on Sept. 11th, 2001? Needless to say most of you know what happened on this very sad day in the history of the US. Allow me to share what my day was on 9/11/01.

It was a beautiful sunny Tuesday morning and just like any ordinary working day, I woke up about 7AM and as usual got ready with my boring morning rituals, went out my apartment on my way to work. I am coming from Queens, NY on my way to Manhattan. I took the R subway train and got off at 23rd St. station at 5th Ave. On my way up from the subway I see the public standing and their gaze nailed at the two burning towers in front of them. The World Trade Center aka the Twin Towers were burning in front of me. I was shocked and couldn't believe how come the two buildings were burning at the same time, must be electrical or human accident that caused it, but deep in my gut I knew that something was wrong...very wrong.

I still went on walking four more blocks to work, as soon as I got to the office I asked my co-workers what really happened with the Twin Towers, and they told me that it was a terrorist attack by which the terrorists used two planes to attack each of the two buildings. I felt sadness and anger and of being helpless. The collapse of the two towers really was the darkest, when you know that no one can be saved in the buildings and that you instantly know that the first responders were killed.

I ended up staying in the office until 6PM when the local news announced that all tunnels and subways were opened again after being shut for hours. With a heavy and sad heart I went home reflecting and visualizing how the people inside the burning towers were feeling at the height of this crazy man-made disaster. And as the day ended and in the weeks and even months to come I always say a prayer for those who perished and for their families.

Where were you on Sept. 11th, 2001?