My family and I went to Ground Zero this weekend to pay our respects to those lost, and offer comfort to those left behind. It's so eerie looking up at the sky where the towers used to be and see a gaping hole. NYPD is handling crowd control by issuing free tickets to a ramp over the site that allows 30 min to each viewer. It's so overpowering to see the smoke still rising after almost 5 months of 24/7 efforts. There is a Jean shop on Broadway at Fulton (just a block from the site) that has preserved a small corner of the store with a few racks of clothing, covered in the dust from the rubble, and sealed it into a Plexiglas monument to remind us of the devastation that forever changed the world. Looking at the dust, and wondering about the contents is a very humbling experience.

We went on a Sunday, and it was the day after a snowfall, so the streets were not as crowded as most, but still - the city has a quiet strength that you can see in the faces of the people. The pulse is slower, but you can still feel the life. The monuments of flowers & pictures, the flags and posters in storefront windows - they all serve to make us think, and make us feel. It was a trip I'd recommend to EVERYone, no matter how far away you live from NY.

We stood in line with people from every corner of the world, all with a similar purpose .... to get some closure, and to weep a cathartic tear for those affected by the attacks. ( that would be ALL of us )
It was so heartwarming to see the crowds rush up to rescue workers and give their support. There were a group of Asian kids that had their picture taken with a firefighter's hat on while the fireman smiled through his ash-coverd, weary, yet kind face. Opposite corners of the world - hugging like brothers. It was wonderful to witness. I could hear so many different languages around me, and yet, the feeling of community was so strong that it was difficult to understand HOW this could happen. The rallying of people from around the world is so encouraging - you need to see it, and feel it.

New York City is a part of every American, and a friend to every citizen in the world - and the city really needs us now. It needs us to visit, to shop, to vacation and to just BE there. The quiet in the streets is deafening. I really urge all of you to make the journey, if you can, to be with your "Universal" family at this very great time of need. There is so much to do and see in that great city, and it breaks my heart to see Lady Liberty with tears in her eyes, so sad and alone in the harbor.

I read one poster that had a "missing" picture on it from Sept 11th, and then written in bold marker across the top was the words: "Found - DEC 21st!!" I burst into tears at the thought that someone could be missing that long, and then after all hope had gone - miraculously reappear. That one, tiny glimpse of hope gave me a renewed strength that I hadn't planned on. Make the trip, people. Visit your "family". I'm so glad I did.