Another big day for the Godsills. At least it started later because my children slept in. I think Brian would have liked to get an earlier start than we did, but does any family ever do anything as planned? It seems like we always have intentions to do something differently than it plays out. And that's okay.
We took the train over to the 9-11 memorial today. I honestly don't even know how to blog about what I experienced today. I was about as far away as you can get in the US from ground zero...and yet it was still painful and horrific to experience. All of us have that "I remember what I was doing when it happened" story. As I stood in front of the pools, I fought back the tears. I saw the names of moms, dads, sons, and daughters of people who will never have answers. It was an act of inexplicable terror. I am glad to have given my children the opportunity to experience the rebirth of New York and understand that resilience is much stronger than fear.
Each year on their birthdays, a white rose is placed by their name. I cry again as I type. It just breaks my heart.
Copies of the missing people posters were projected on the walls. Seeing the faces of the people who were lost was so painful. This was hard for Fiona to see.
Fiona gave Mack a little explanation about what she was about to see.
Part of the museum is in a room where you cannot take photographs or videos. There are graphic photos and artifacts that show a detailed history about what happened. There was a room where it showed the video footage of the terrorists going through security before boarding the flight. Their passport pictures were shown in a group. Mack looked down at their pictures and thought for a minute and then said, "But Mommy, they don't look like bad people." It's so hard to explain to her the depth of what this is all about.
It was a hard visit, but I'm glad we took them there. We stopped outside for some more photos of beautiful murals which helped heal our hearts and help us move forward in our day.
Once we were ready to move on, we were on our way to Brooklyn to hit the flea market in Dumbo. As we began our trek, Mack stopped..."Wait, we're walking to Brooklyn?" Yup! We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoyed the brisk wind and hefty crowds. Believe it our not I walked past one of my students. We were moving pretty fast so I didn't try to connect with him for fear that I would lose my family in the foot traffic. We also saw a couple rolling their cat in a stroller. At one point they picked the stroller up and posed for a picture with their cat. That was a favorite of Mack's for the day.
Didn't find anything at the flea market as the "vintage prices" were a bit steep for this thrift pro. Did manage to hook up with a friend from high school for lunch. It's always good to cross paths with old friends. It was nice to see her and to get some good info about the area.
We ended our evening eating left over food in our hotel room and Brian watching Sunday Night Football. Fiona and I ventured across the street to get some chocolate somethings. It was a nice day. I felt overcome with sadness this morning and then was able to refocus on the goodness surrounding me. Tomorrow we have more good stuff on deck. Check in and see what kind of trouble we end up in.
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