A Christmas tree at Ground Zero
| On our final morning in New York City, we headed to Ground Zero. We had been staying in the financial district, just a few blocks away.
Today, with work on the 9/11 Memorial and other projects, Ground Zero might be mistaken for any large construction site, save the numerous American flags on the fences and the somber faces of those walking by. We tried to explain to our daughter what had happened there, two years before her birth. We told her of the innocent people who had died, and of the brave first responders who went into the burning buildings to help, many of whom perished, too. And then we happened on a scene that said it all better than we ever could have. Outside the Engine Co. 10 fire station, a Christmas tree was being decorated. As we drew closer, we realized how special this tree was. It was being adorned with handmade ornaments, created in remembrance of the men and women from that station who had lost their lives. The women decorating the tree were their mothers, their daughters, their widows. What an emotional way to end our visit.
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Over the last week I’ve been wondering about my inability to shed a tear or even raise a lump in my throat when watching all the old and new favorite Christmas movies (I ask you, am I inhuman not to cry when Colin Firth proposed to his Aurelia in Love Actually?), but your post did it. It’s so strange to know that there are people your daughter’s age, or, I guess, older, who don’t really remember it. More words fail me. thanks for the post.