I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in fifth grade. Our grade had 4 teams with about five teachers and each team had a head teacher and she came and knocked on our door and my first thought was that someone died that my teacher knew because she started crying. We sat there in wonder as no one told us what was going on.  Time went by and we were released early from school with a pink slip of paper explaining to parents that the teachers did not inform us what was going on.

I got off the bus and everyone’s parents were there, which was strange because we normally walked home by ourselves since we were so close. I got home and my mom was brushing my hair when she told me. I didn’t understand the magnitude and to be honest I had no clue what she meant by a terrorist attack.

I remember asking if this was going to be on the news tomorrow too, and she told me it would be on the news for the rest of my life.  It was then that I understood the impact.

In the following days so many stories unfolded about friends family members who were late to work or missed their train who were supposed to be in the towers that day. It’s amazing the miracles that did happen that day and if there is any silver lining about this tragic event, that was it.

I will never forget.

This year, 13 years later, I got to experience NY in all its beauty from the Hoboken Pier and see the beautiful tribute to what was once an icon of America. Now- these images stand for hope. For Bravery. For Courage. For Freedom. For America.

 If you would like to order prints of any of the below images you can do so through the gallery here: http://yourstory.imlauralee.com/september112014