I feel all the words have been used, lots of words to describe that terrible day 15 years ago. The events in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania touched us all, some more directly, more personally. I sat in church this morning listening to a lovely homily about 9/11/2001, yet I wasn’t able to lose myself in it. I feel restive, anxious even though it’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I knew people who lost their lives, and that day is so vivid in my memory. More vivid than more recent memories. I am reminded of the saying that human beings are at their best when things are at their worst, and that was true all over the country, all over the world when the buildings and planes came down.

The herb rosemary is for remembrance — lovely and fragrant. Since antique times herbs, flowers, and plants held symbolic significance. I would like to think that we haven’t lost touch with our connection to the earth and all the beauty she yields up to us. I hope for all of us, those who were here, those who were very little, and those who were born after, that we keep our hearts and minds open and compassionate.

Claire Irwin