Reflections on 9/11

SYRACUSE -- I recently visited ground zero to view the photography exhibit, "here: remembering 9/11." Seeing enlarged photos at the site of devastation is intense – an experience akin to seeing images of The Holocaust while standing inside Dachau. The above image of the WTC towers, by Christopher Boyle, captured my attention.

There are days that change you in one powerful swoop, days that reveal both the beauty and brutality of life.

September 11 changed me – twice. First, in 2001, when I watched hijacked planes crash into buildings, killing thousands of innocent people. And then, three years later, on Sept. 11, 2004, when I sat in a hospital room and watched my grandfather die.

For me, as for many, September 11 is a sacred day. It’s a day when I feel particularly grateful for the things I have and the people who love me. A day when I set aside my anxiety about money and deadlines and other humdrum matters and refocus my lens on life. It’s a day when I walk slower and speak softer and cry. It’s a day when I quietly celebrate the gift of life while remembering, truly remembering, that this precious gift is not eternal.

I hope this day is sacred for you, too. I wish everyone the best. (JM)