When I was very little 911, was simply the number to call in a state of emergency. Today? 15 years later.... these three numbers stand for the 2,996 innocent people who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001.

Being that I was so young when it happened, I couldn't tell you where I stood or how I felt when it happened and until my Senior year of high school, I never fully grasped the immense turmoil this event had left in its wake. That is, until I visited the 9/11 memorial and museum with my class.

Walking through the doors, I could feel a shift in energy, the music playing in the escalators. Everywhere you turned there was another piece of the towers that were left behind, a physical piece of ruin to remind us the destruction that was left in the wake of this event. The first piece you see being the wall of blue, similar in looks to paint chips. This piece was an artistic expression of what was said to be the bluest sky they had ever seen over NYC. And surrounded by the blue were the words, "No day shall erase you from the memory of time".

As I continued my walk with the class, I became very aware of how quiet it was throughout the entire museum as we all walked through this journey through the past. The broken fire trucks, the lone window that seemed to defy the laws of physics by never breaking, and of course the last steel beam to be removed from Ground Zero.

It was disturbing to say the least, to see what I had only known through textbooks right in front of my eyes. But then right when I thought I had made it through the worst, I turned into a room where 2,996 faces looked back on me. This was the moment where it all hit me, the chills went down my back and I realized the enormity of this tragedy.

As I looked into the eyes of these faces, I began to see my mom, dad, sister. I couldn't imagine looking at a photo of them knowing that was the only way I would see their faces again. Knowing that they had no control over how they were taken out of this world.

On this day, my heart goes out to the families who were burdened by the losses. And if you didnt lose anyone, I hope you hold all your loved ones a little closer on this day. Thank you to the ones who helped and the ones that still help us everyday. This is your day, this is Americas day.

http://www.newyork.com/attractions/911-memorial-mu...