September 11, 2011 - "Teach Your Children"
By MariJ
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Living in the shadow of New York CIty, I watched September 11, 2001 literally unfold before my eyes... Thirteen months later Essex County, NJ dedicated their "Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial" in a spot overlooking the NYC skyline in West Orange, NJ where many people had flocked to leave flowers, notes and remembrances of loved ones. The Memorial includes a Wall of Remembrance listing the almost 3,000 names of people who died that day, along with tributes to Firefighters, Police Officers, EMS workers and Flight Attendants. An 8-foot Freedom Eagle flies above a book engraved with the 58 People from Essex County who died while a life-sized statue of a little girl "Gabriella" holding a teddy bear represents the more than 1,000 children who lost loved ones. This year the Memorial added a 7,400 pound steel and concrete piece from the World Trade Center foundation to the site.
When I visited the Memorial the day before and for the Tenth Anniversary Remembrance Program I was struck by the many children at the site... Playing, observing, solemnly sitting with a parent during the Memorial Service for a family member... perched on Dad's shoulders as the American Flag was raised and then lowered to half-staff..... eating lunch on a bench while a parent explained "do you know what happened next?"... while nearby a young boy ran his hands over the engraved names, suddenly exclaiming "Hey, Livingston!" as he recognized a town and this history became more real...
The statue of Gabriella states her message, "that if these senseless acts had any meaning, it is to help rebuild the lives of these children and do all we can to fulfill the hopes and dreams of those that were lost."
The Sept 11 Anniversary always makes me so sad, I was trying to find a positive piece.... Our children are our hope.
For this layout I used:
ABR Batter Up Collection
PJO Signs of Winter Paper Special
BMU SS Embellishment Templates: Background Blenders - Masks
SNU Brush Set: Painted
and my own photos (The night photo I just took Sept 11, 2011 as the beams of light lit up the former site of the Twin Towers. As I type this, those lights still shine.)
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