Reflections on one day in NYC

Everyone has advice when you tell them you are going to New York City.  I was stressed because I'd not booked a 'if you only have one day' tour or had a plan for a specific restaurant to visit.  My sister, took charge though and arranged for the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial, booking on line for both provided reservations for specific times, noon and 3:30.   Commuting in from our hotel in Tarrytown gave us terrific views of the Hudson, a stop at Grand Central Station and the priceless experience of a short trip on the metro… all tourist attractions in their own right.  However, it was in seeing both the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial in the same day… one, the icon of freedom and liberty; the other, a memorial to the lives lost at the hands of those who didn't respect freedom and liberty; that defined my trip.  I didn't realize that my one day in NYC would cause me to reflect so much those who'd travelled here over the past centuries to become citizens; and those died September 11, 2001. My conclusion?  What continues to make the United States a great nation is the surviving generations from both those who immigrated, as celebrated by the Statue of Liberty; and those who perished, memorialized at the reflecting pools.  My day in NYC, was not about the food or the things that I didn't see (that everyone had said 'you haaaavvvvve to see')... it was about what I did see.  Visiting those sites made me take the time to realize how lucky I am to be an American, and pause to remember those who died simply because they were American.

In honor of Veterans day, yellow roses were placed on the names of the individuals who were members of the armed forces, and died on 9/11/2001.