Thursday, October 27, 2011

In the footprints

Before we left Australia, and just after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I applied for visitor passes to the newly opened
9/11 Memorial.

10 years ago, a few days after the attacks, two young men created the United in Memory Quilt Project. All over the world, quilters each selected a person who had died in the attacks and made a 12 inch block in memory of that person. The blocks were made into many quilt panels which were then displayed. There is a website that shows the blocks made.

I participated and ended up making 7 blocks as the need arose. I found out as much as I could about each person, mainly from the tribute websites that were set up at the time. I felt it was important to know about the person I was making the block for. I have never forgotten their names in the time since.

Yesterday, at a stunning memorial site which included two levels of waterfalls in the footprints of the former south and north towers, I found 6 of 'my' 7 people. The 7th, William Erwin was on a very wet, windy side of the north pool, so there was no chance for a photo.

We could imagine no other type of memorial to such an awful day in history. It was respectful, and very, very beautiful. Photos and words will never do it justice.


  1. Hey Michelle,
    I have been having problems with comments so have resorted to the iPad. A very moving post. My parents were at the memorial yesterday and wrote of how moving it was. They know parents of someone who died, and they found his name also. Hope you are having a lovely time
    Jo xo

  2. You are right it is stunning and appropriate, it's hard to get a sense of the scale is it huge? I remember seeing on the tele that there is a tree that survived and is still standing, scarred but still beautiful. That tree made me cry.

  3. Lovely post. Impressive quilts as well. I had a look at the website and was touched by all the outpourings of care to the world. It was a sad and disturbing time.

