Honoring the sacrifices of selfless souls on 9/11

As I prepare for my first meeting with a client during New York Fashion Week 2016, I check my suit, my makeup, my hair, my jewelry. I have my notes, my journal. My phone is charged. Everything is in order. My meeting is just a block away, so I can walk on this bright and luminous morning.

I step outside the hotel, blink in the sun and I hear, in a powerful, gloriously clear and beautiful voice:

“And the rockets’ red glare, The bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night, That our flag was still there…”

And like a magnet, the passion of our national anthem pulls me across the street, to a tiny tree-lined park. A park I hadn’t noticed before. In front of me are firefighters from around the corner on 48th Street, Firehouse Engine Company 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, with their hands on their hearts. Military personnel saluting. People standing at attention, silent, with their hands on their breasts. I put my hand on my heart and stand straight and silent. How did I not remember what day this was?

This gathering of a few dozen people is a tribute to the men and women who gave their lives saving others and those caught in the destruction of 9/11. First responders, like the firefighters, police, medics and caring citizens who thought to return and help others instead of themselves.

My eyes start to tear up and I tell myself, “No, you’re not supposed to cry in public.” Then it strikes me: How else can I pay tribute to all those who gave their lives to save others? How can I remember all those innocent individuals who lost their lives because a handful of people hate folks who have a different way of thinking than they do? Then, it occurs to me, my tears. I can pay homage to these brave people with my tears.

The national anthem over, the crowd applauds and I continue down the block, to my meeting, the tears now streaming down my face. But now I am not embarrassed. I am proud to be able to honor all those brave souls lost or injured with my small tribute. It’s all I have to give, so I gratefully give my tears, freely.