Never Forget

I was exploring lower Manhattan today and kept coming back to the Ground Zero area, magnetized by the overpowering energy oozing from the spot, all the while tears welling up in my eyes.

I remember that day 14 years ago. I was a kid, fresh into the second grade. I got to school and learned that something had happened. We had a minute of silence, a solemn moment I will never forget. It must have been the first time I truly realized, felt rather, how we're all united, and that no matter how many thousands of miles are between us, we all want the same simple thing – living a peaceful life and knowing that you and your family and friends will get back from work tonight and tomorrow and every day after that. For a kid my age it was an especially valuable realization.

Being in New York City today felt really special and very emotional. I deeply connected with the poignant sentiment that was in the air all over the place. There's a pool near the 9/11 Memorial Museum with the victims' names inscribed on the bronze panels around it. I spent quite a while standing there, the water flowing down the sides and into the dark drain at the bottom, soothingly splashing and bringing about the memories. Later in the evening I observed another well-known tribute – two bold beams of light rising and piercing the night skies, solemn and resilient, their powerful message as clear as the memories they evoke – we shall rebuilt, we shall become even stronger, and we shall never forget.

‪#‎neverforget‬