"We can, in the midst of tragedy, find God."
~Deena Burnett,
wife of Pepperdine alumnus,
Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.,
a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93
Atop the very highest point on Pepperdine's campus,the campus where Matt and Jessica both graduated from and Taylor now attends,is the Heroe's Garden.The Heroe's Garden is a beautiful ,tranquil place over looking the Pacific Ocean.The view is breathtaking.The spirit manifested there is beyond compare.The Heroes Garden, a 14,880-square-foot outdoor sanctuary that sits on one of the highest bluffs on Pepperdine's Malibu campus, serves as a public space to pause, reflect, and honor those who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day, including Tom Burnett, alumnus of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. The garden features a fountain that spills into a trough leading to an infinity pool that faces the Pacific Ocean. It also includes boulders inscribed with poignant quotes, a sycamore grove, and indigenous materials to complement its natural environment.On the day we dropped off Taylor, we headed up to this most sacred place and we paused and we reflected and we remembered.
Today,may we also pause and remember.May we never,ever forget the events of September 11th,2001 or more importantly,may we never forget all the innocent lives lost and the lives forever changed because of actions born of hatred.May we choose love ... at all times,at all costs,choose love.
8 comments:
Ohh I remember that day so clearly..Luke was just 6 weeks old and I flew upstairs to tell Toby who was still asleep. He did not go into work that day, we just stuck glued to the TV. Toby and I were just saying earlier this evening that we hope Luke's school discusses this in class! We must never forget....indeed!
I was in Chicago that day; I remember driving home through the unmanned toll booths on the almost empty interstate, I294. That gave me an eerie feeling. Things will never be the same again. I know that everyone in my family will never be the same again because of that day. It has affected us all.
We are still at war with them, people who hate us Americans.
I won't forget that or the people who have given their lives to protect us from them.
Freedom is not free. Someone has paid the price for it. Thank you!
Hard to believe it's been 8 years. I remember exactly where I was and who I was with and how it all went down that morning. Strange how clear the memories are too, how vivid. I still get choked up whenever I see footage of it.
I was working in a skyscraper building that day with our audit team. My boss worked for Deloitte & Touche years ago, and he knew a lot of people working in the Twin Towers. We couldn`t believe what happened and asked the accounting team of our client nearly every 10 minutes if there where any news. We were so, so quite and scrared. We were sure that at one point somebody would tell us that it is not what it seemed like.
Nobody told us.
Today, even here in Germany, I assume nearly everybody keeps a little quite and shares some thoughts with all people of America, with those who are still alive and with those who had to leave their loved ones on that terrible, terrible day.
For my husband, who has been to NY before, it is still unbelievable the Towers are not there anymore.
That day was a tragedy.
We must never forget. Here as well.
Beautiful post. I was in middle school that day. My first day I believe. My boyfriend who was in the high school across the street came over and told me. They were showing then the news broadcasts. So sad.
Yes we all remember, each in our own way. - I was working at the time and heard via fellow office workers and then followed on the internet. I was stunned to hear plane (Flight 93) had crashed near Pittsburgh- you can imagine how I worried until I spoke with Charlie in Pittsburgh and found out everyone down there was okay. Plane actually went down just outside of Pittsburgh. Many people here in Syracuse had relatives living or working in NYC. Lady I worked with - her son called her from outside tower (first one) and then phone went dead. She found out later, he ran all the way down to tip and then up along shoreline back to his apartment. Took him hours! Horrid to follow on news. I also remember how silent the skies were and when I first saw plane(s) flying it made you stop and think about all that horrible mess a few hundred miles away from Syracuse, NY.
Nice posting Heather.
What a beautiful place, I love the inscribed quotes!
of course you know the previous posting was from
Bluebelle/Loraine
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