Personal Memories from 9-11 And My Experience at Ground Zero on 2-21-2011

On 2-21-2011, some of my family and I visited the site of 9-11. What I had seen and read was overwhelming to say in the least and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The site spoke volumes to me and propelled me to write the following...

Personal Memories from 9-11 And My Experience at Ground Zero on 2-21-2011

Words alone can't express the raw emotions one feels as they walk about ground zero, and see the empty skyline where the Twin Towers once stood. To walk into the museums erected to 9-11, and see the pictures on the wall of people who went missing on that fateful day, perished, survived, helped out, or were just caught up in the chaos was astounding. Weather you walk upon the scene, or touch part of it, or your eyes gaze upon it... you are completely engulfed, and swept away with every emotion known to man. The heartache, and gut-wrenching pain at times is unbearable to the point where you either sit down for a few moments, walk away, regroup, and or get a tissue to wipe your eyes. If you listen you can hear their cries, screams, and pleas for help. You can hear them praying each to their own God to let their families, and loved ones know how much they were loved, and appreciated by them... You could hear them crying out... I know you loved me please don't regret words that went unspoken, know that all is forgiven, and our love can never be broken not even in death. I am still with you and you with me. Close your eyes, and you will see us... touch your heart, and you will feel us... for that is our final resting place. It was you we saw when we closed our eyes for the very last time...As we took our last breath... It was you we breathed in… And as our hearts beat for the very last time... It was you we sealed in. Is death the end? I think not. It is just the unknown. A new place for us to explore and wait for those we have known.

Someone once said, "A picture speaks a thousand words." I will tell you one, and all that the wall with the names of every man, woman, and child who was innocently slaughtered on that fateful day speaks not just a million words, but... every word known to man. It is a site to behold, and one never to be forgotten, and one everyone should see, and experience for themselves, as it is now part of us all. To hear actual facts from a tour guide that was part of the rescue mission from beginning to end, or from a fireman who was on the scene, or from anyone connected to the senseless slaughter was overwhelming. When you looked into their eyes as they spoke you could see into their souls, and witness what they did... you can feel your heart beat just as theirs did... and stop as theirs did that day.

Perhaps the terrorists thought they could bring our country to its knees... If so they were wrong... Instead we have risen from the ashes of 9-11 like a phoenix... a bird that was according to Herodotus... red, and golden, and resembled an eagle... much like that of our countries national bird the "The Almighty Mighty Bald Eagle". We will stand by, and honor our countries colors... the red, white, and blue. Bring us to our knees no... It brought the peace-loving people of our Great Nation together. Together the Countries Stood United as One Nation Under God Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for All! The world trade center was home and still is home to every flag in the Nation, and they will fly again on sacred ground as the memorial is completed. Lady Liberty will continue to be a symbol of freedom, and hope to the Nations peace loving people. The USA will continue to give comfort, and aid to all those who seek it, and will welcome them with open arms. But know... that we are a country in this Great Nation who will not run away, but stand up, and fight for injustices, and freedom for all, and yes this requires us at times to bear arms. We hope one day to see a Nation that stands together side by side, and live in peace. A nation where all are equal, and freedom rings throughout the lands.

In the wake of 9-11 the Nation stood United as innocent victims... of the most heinous crimes of all... the senseless slaughter, and rape of our great nation. This day now lives on in infamy as one of the worst, and greatest days in our history. A day where the nation wept and cried every tear known to man, tears of joy, sadness, and everything in-between. The day the peace-loving people in this Nation rose from the ashes like a phoenix United, and ran to aid of our country the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This day served as a wakeup call to everyone in our nation. It taught us that life could cease to exist for any of us at any moment in time. It made us all turn to one another, and speak words that we might never have uttered before. Some of us turned to each other, and cried as we asked our loved ones for forgiveness... for any, and all the injustices we had done to them at one time or another. We became more human than ever before as we watched life, as we once knew it wither, and die before our very eyes. Our souls were now fused as one in the wake of the senseless destruction. This was the work of the devil, and his image was seen literally by many in the billowing smoke that came out of The World Trade Center on 9-11-2001, but evil did not triumph that day... the Nation stood together as one. God left the final mark on this horrific site. Two days after the disaster, a construction worker found several perfectly formed crosses planted upright in a pit in the rubble of the heavily damaged 6 World Trade Center. People rushed to pray there as they found some comfort from this glorious site. It gave them newfound hope that God really did exist. The Devil thought he had won, but in the end it was God who laid his hand upon this site. I believe God left the crosses standing upright for these reasons:

* A symbol of Hope, Unity, and a reminder that he created us all equal, and we were meant to live together as a nation in peace.

*A sign to all mankind that the beautiful innocent lives lost that day had a great meaning to our Nation.

*Finally,... to let us know they did not die alone... for he was with them as were we, as they sealed us in their hearts, as they beat for the very last time in the end to comfort them, and take them home.

Fast forward to today... life for many of has now gone back to what it was. Some of us have gone back to hiding our true selves we no longer speak to each other from the heart. At times we speak in haste, and anger to one another. We seem to forget just how precious life really is, and how it could end for any of us at any moment in time.... Is this the way we want to be remembered by our loved ones? I think not so please before you open your mouth to speak... open your mind, and your heart think before you speak. Remember the compassion, and empathy you had after 9-11? Find it again, and you will find yourself.

Written By: Marye Greenys 2-24-2011

A little added note from today 9-11-2017

The summer of 2017 will go down in history as the summer the world will never forget. Together countries stand united as Family and are supporting and reaching out to one another one another through pain and devastation the world has never seen before as Mother Nature has brought us to our knees. However, Mother Nature can’t keep us down together we are fighting hand in hand, heart to heart, soul to soul, and side by side as a Family and we are getting back up together. Imagine that, the world has come together and humanity has been restored again but how long will it last and why must it take natural disasters to do this?

Sometimes we have to look back in order to move forward. It reminds me of 9-11 when the world reached out to our country the United States. The world stood United as One Nation Under God as a Family. We put aside our differences it no longer mattered what our race, color, religion, gender, political views, or the hate we had for one another, none of this mattered.

However, it did not take long for the world as a United Family to fall apart again and revert to fighting and killing. If we can come together during natural disasters we should be able to get along and live peacefully every day. Maybe it’s time the leaders of our countries listen to the people they govern. Nobody wants wars, we the little people just want to live in peace and raise our families to get along and thrive. It is time to stop teaching hate for one another to the children. Do not force upon them your hatred. Let them thrive and flourish to become responsible peace-loving human beings respectful of their fellow man regardless of one’s race, color, creed, gender, or political views. To teach or to force a child or any other living human being to hate should be labeled a crime and punishable by death.

Can’t we all just live in peace?