A Day Of Remembrance

This past week on Wednesday, Sept. 11, many of us remember the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City in 2001. With much sorrow, nearly 3,000 died in the collapse and an estimated 6,000 were injured. As we watched on our televisions in real time, it seemed unbelievable as it still does.

Just a year before on September 17, 2000, our girl group had scheduled a champagne brunch at the uber Windows on the World located on the 110th story of the Twin Tower. There was an express elevator from the ground to the 110th story. As the elevator doors opened we looked out over the beautiful restaurant and then into the clouds.

As we entered the restaurant a jazz band was playing for the brunch. When the band took a break, I took a note to the soundboard asking them to play, Happy Birthday to the many in our group celebrating and I added anything by Al Green.

When the band came back from break, the singer read the note and asked who requested Al Green. There was probably 100 or more eating brunch as I raised my hand and caught his eye. He came directly over to our table, knelt down and sang Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”

Of course my face was bright red, but one of my good buddies snapped a picture of me. He followed by going to everyone with a birthday and sang to them. What a memorable thing to do.

On 9/11 each year I have flashbacks of our wonderful brunch just a year before and the music. It is tempered with the horrible Twin Tower collapses that included the 110th floor where we had been.

May we never have this horror again. Say a prayer for the families of those left behind.