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Girls Write Now at 9/11 Ceremony
Submitted by GirlsWriteNow on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 5:37pm.
By Grace Bastidas, Michele Thomas, and Heather Smith
GWN Community
On Friday, September 11, the New York City Mayor's office invited Girls Write Now to participate in the eighth annual September 11th Commemoration Ceremony at Zuccotti Park, adjacent to the World Trade Center. Here, three key members of Girls Write Now's core community—mentor Grace Bastidas, mentor alum Michele Thomas, and volunteer enrollment chair Heather Smith—reflect on their experience:
Grace: As a born and bred New Yorker, I was truly honored to be able to participate in the 9/11 memorial. I still remember watching the towers fall eight years ago, and the grief that united our battered city back then. I felt that same sense of unity today as I joined others in commemorating those who died on that unforgettable day. It was especially important for me to be able to represent Girls Write Now, an organization that has given me an opportunity to give back to the community. When I was done reading names, I was able to shake Vice President Biden's hand, a brief experience that showed me just how meaningful even the smallest contribution can be.
Michele: Like Grace, I'm a born and bred New Yorker, and until September 11, 2001, I thought I'd seen it all. Or at least, all that mattered. However in the space of a morning, I saw people come together in a way I'd never seen before. The experience inspired and motivated me to get involved in my community, eventually leading me to Girls Write Now.
Eight years later, I experienced the same kind of connection with others in reading the names of those lost in the attacks with family members and community partners from organizations around the city. It was overwhelming. I sat with a firefighter from the Bronx, reading for his lost brother-in-law. We worked together to practice our rhythm and give each other confidence in public speaking. We met as strangers on a rainy day, and left transformed--united in remembrance and the spirit of service. It took just a few moments--just like that day eight years ago--to show me the awe-inspiring strength and compassion embodied by the human spirit.
Heather: It was an honor to serve my country by representing Girls Write Now at New York City's 2009 September 11th commemoration. Although I was not yet a New Yorker on that fateful day, I am proud to do what I can to help heal and unite the community in which I now live.
During the ceremony, Vice President Biden read a passage from Mary Oliver's poem "Wild Geese," one of my favorites. At once this made the experience even more meaningful and personal to me--uniting GWN and our emphasis on writing with the occasion. Although I didn't read, I was glad to stand with the city's volunteers in this day of remembrance.
