Ground Zero

While in NYC, we visited Ground Zero. Having had the opportunity to see the enormity of the World Trade Center's twin towers in the past, it's surreal to go back to the site where they once stood. Construction on the new Freedom Tower and permanent memorials is just beginning, so the site itself looks very much like any other construction site. There are temporary memorials near the site, including a list of all of the victims of 9-11. It was quite an emotional experience, which surprised me somewhat as someone who has no real ties to the events of 9-11 other than being an American. I can only imagine what it must be like for victims' families and survivors.

Literally right across the street from the WTC site stands an historic church called St. Paul's Chapel. George Washington visited St. Paul's Chapel on his inauguration day. The chapel survived the great fires of 1776, and it survived 9-11. With all of the devastation right next door, this little old chapel came through without so much as a single pane of broken glass. A large, 100-year-old sycamore tree on the chapel grounds was knocked down. It is believed that its massive trunk and branches helped protect the chapel itself from harm. The tree trunk is still in front of the chapel. The branches were made into a bronze sculpture and sit on the grounds of a sister church a few blocks away. During the weeks/months following 9-11, St. Paul's Chapel was used by rescue workers as a place to rest.