The Survivor Tree at Ground Zero
On a trip to the Museum of the Native American in lower Manhattan yesterday, Marie and I stopped in my old neighborhood for lunch and to see my former apartment building. So much has changed in the area in the year we've been gone. Two blocks from Ground Zero, buildings are springing up like newborn foals, not just within the Ground Zero confines, but all around the area.
We decided to take the free tour of the site since it wasn't crowded. Even though there's a lot of building going on, with jack-hammering and whatnot, the site was quite serene. The names of those who died are cut into stone facing waterfalls pooling into ponds and recirculating.
New trees are planted everywhere, but one is actually from the original site. It is called the Survivor Tree. Reduced to an eight foot tall stump on September 11, 2002, it was rescued and brought to another site and put on life support. It slowly emerged from its coma and sprouted new growth. .One more trauma to the tree occurred before it was safely returned to its original site. A hurricane uprooted it last summer. They took the tree and planted it in the lovely memorial park. It now stands 30 feet tall and is in full leaf.
As a leukemia survivor, I identify with this tree. May it live a long happy life.
1 comment:
I just went down there. It's all pretty amazing. Nice post about the tree.
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