In March of 2002 I received a book from my sister Caren who is a freelance writer down in New York City. The book was titled New York, September 11 by Magnum Photographers. It was a graphic depiction of the events that took place just six months earlier by several Magnum photojournalists from various vantage points in and around New York City on that fateful day.
My life has never been so effected in such a short period of time as those months following September 11, 2001. Life for every American was drastically altered, only in the months following, I would also lose my father to cancer and bring my son into the world 6 weeks after that.
My sister wrote a long message on the opening fly sheet of the book on how her life had changed since my father's passing. She encouraged me to follow my passion. I look back on how my life has changed since then and I have done just that. I can honestly say that I have built a business around something I truly love doing. I have a complete passion for my career and can also enjoy the fruits of my labor. I feel blessed for that.
I sat down with my kids tonight and shared the book with them. My daughter who is in fourth grade shared a moment of silence with her classmates this morning. Ironically, 9-11-01 was her first day of preschool. I was to fly to New York City that day to spend time with my father who was in a clinical trial cancer treatment at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. I put my flight plans off until the afternoon so I could share the morning with my daughter on her milestone day. I never made it to the city that afternoon. I was finally able to fly down a few weeks later, landing over the still smoldering ruins of ground zero.
My son's kindergarten class did not do anything for 9-11 that he was aware of, but he may not have understood the significance of what they were doing this morning. Both kids thumbed through the pages with great interest, asking numerous questions. I shared my stories of the Twin Towers having grown up on Long Island.
Earlier in the afternoon, I peered out the studio window and watched the parade of firefighters, bag pipes and pedestrians march north along Main Street on their way to a vigil at the American Legion. It was warming to see how the community still comes together to pay tribute to those who lost their lives that day. May you all walk in peace, and never forget those who were lost on 9-11.
-Steve
My life has never been so effected in such a short period of time as those months following September 11, 2001. Life for every American was drastically altered, only in the months following, I would also lose my father to cancer and bring my son into the world 6 weeks after that.
My sister wrote a long message on the opening fly sheet of the book on how her life had changed since my father's passing. She encouraged me to follow my passion. I look back on how my life has changed since then and I have done just that. I can honestly say that I have built a business around something I truly love doing. I have a complete passion for my career and can also enjoy the fruits of my labor. I feel blessed for that.
I sat down with my kids tonight and shared the book with them. My daughter who is in fourth grade shared a moment of silence with her classmates this morning. Ironically, 9-11-01 was her first day of preschool. I was to fly to New York City that day to spend time with my father who was in a clinical trial cancer treatment at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. I put my flight plans off until the afternoon so I could share the morning with my daughter on her milestone day. I never made it to the city that afternoon. I was finally able to fly down a few weeks later, landing over the still smoldering ruins of ground zero.
My son's kindergarten class did not do anything for 9-11 that he was aware of, but he may not have understood the significance of what they were doing this morning. Both kids thumbed through the pages with great interest, asking numerous questions. I shared my stories of the Twin Towers having grown up on Long Island.
Earlier in the afternoon, I peered out the studio window and watched the parade of firefighters, bag pipes and pedestrians march north along Main Street on their way to a vigil at the American Legion. It was warming to see how the community still comes together to pay tribute to those who lost their lives that day. May you all walk in peace, and never forget those who were lost on 9-11.
-Steve
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