I will tell her how the usual buzzing energy of my favorite city was different on this particular day, 9/11/11.
I will tell her that I was sent here as the second part of a work assignment that pushes me closer and closer to a dream job.
I will tell her how frightened I was to get on a plane the day before (in light of the uncovered terrorist threats leading up to my trip), questioning if I should be going at all now that I’m a ‘Mother’.
I will tell her how the skies were gloomy, the air was heavy and the crowds were a bit quieter as I walked down Fifth Avenue.
I will tell her how my traditional pilgrimage to Dean & Deluca in Rockefeller Plaza proved disappointing… it was no longer there (replaced by Bouchon Bakery).
I will tell her how my tears came for those affected children and families as I lit a candle in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
I will tell her how throngs of people gathered outside the Prada store, snapping pictures and trying to get a glimpse of Victoria Beckham shopping inside.
I will tell her how I had an unrelenting headache all day, which began when I switched on the live coverage of the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in my hotel room that morning. (I watched for 3 hours.)
I will tell her that – of all the hotels in New York City – I happened to be assigned to stay at The Hudson… the same hotel where her dad says he spotted me in the lobby for the very first time just a few years ago.
I will tell her how I wrote this entry (on The Hudson’s terrace, where I once drank too many cocktails) while looking out at the empty skyline to the south, knowing that the resilient spirit of the victims and their families will always fill that space.
Lastly, I will remind her how blessed and thankful I felt on that day – to be her mommy, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and an American – and remind her to always feel the same, no matter what life brings.
WHAT WILL YOU TELL YOURS?
