“I knew: ‘THIS I can do.'”

I have a birthday party tonight. A good friend of mine has a birthday on September 11 (some of her photographs are in the amazing book “Here is New York” – a book of photographs taken in New York that day, some by professional photographers, some from people with throw-away cameras … an amazing book … for those of us who want to SEE – who want to remember what we SAW). Anyway. She was on the Brooklyn Bridge when the first tower collapsed, and she took the two pictures which ended up in the book at that moment. She is a photographer by trade. She said, “The only thing I knew to do in that moment, in that awful moment, was take a picture. It was automatic. I knew: ‘THIS I can do.'”

She is having a party because, after all, life still exists, even on this anniversary of death. It will be good to get together with friends, have a drink, sit back, smile, listen to others, maybe even have a laugh.

I just want to say thank you to everybody who has written to me today … everybody who has left comments … I have been in contact with an enormous community all day, as I sit alone at my desk … I have not felt alone all day. It is extraordinary.

I also want to send out my love to my brother Brendan … who flew to Los Angeles today. I was thinking about him all day, too. Flying on today, of all days. Peace peace peace.

Love to everybody. God bless.

We will never forget. We will not forget what was done to us that day.

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5 Responses to “I knew: ‘THIS I can do.'”

  1. Emily says:

    Great job today, Sheila. Thanks for all the hard work and great links. Have a fun time at the party tonight.

  2. Jake says:

    Wow. Quoted in the Wall Street Journal. You have made the Big Time. Congratulations. You deserve all the praise you will get.

  3. Bill McCabe says:

    Have fun at the party, Sheila. Great work today.

  4. cris says:

    celebrating life in the face of death is a necessary ritual for the human soul.

    each of the people who died on september 11, 2001, had lives full of friends and family, they had joy, pain, happiness, challenges…. and while we need to mourn them and mourn their absence from their families and friends, we also need very much to celebrate their lives.

    so your friend’s birthday needs celebrating…. and maybe, just maybe, she could add an extra candle to her cake to represent those lives and to celebrate their memories….

    just a thought.

    cris

  5. dad says:

    Dearest: your mention of “Here is New York” reminds me of E. B. White’s longish essay of the same title.You may want to read it now [or again]. love, dad

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