09/11/2026
I took my son to New York last year, in the springtime, when life began blooming again. It was a quick trip, full of photoshoots, visiting with friends and family, and visiting different spots around the city. One of those places was One World Trade Center. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day, with warm sunshine beaming through, and a slight chill in the air. As we walked a few steps toward the reflecting pools, my son stopped, at a name, with a white rose within its letters. I stood behind him, so he could take in that name and what it meant. I later learned, that the white rose didn’t represent the loss of life, but it recognized the birthdate of that person. The roses represent the day that the person was born, and a rose is placed for every person, every year, on their special day. So while this memorial etches their names in the place they lost their lives, the day they were born into the world is recognized with a beautiful rose. How beautiful is that? 🌹 We then came upon what’s called The Survivor Tree. It stood on the World Trade Center concourse when the towers fell. It was later discovered beneath the rubble, with broken branches, snapped roots, and was severely burned. But after removing the tree, and nursing it back to health, it returned to One World Trade Center, where the memorial now stands. It signifies the resilience of life, even in the worst tragedy. And on that day, back in April of 2025, it was blooming new life yet again. ✨ I am reminded, year after year of the impactful words of Sandy Dahl. She was the wife of Flight 93 Pilot, Jason Dahl, “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” Continue to remember. Revere. Hold space for what will always be the BEFORE and then the AFTER. And that the only way forward, has always, and will always be, together. ❤️🩹