The Princess Diaries: Where were you 7 years ago today?

I can't believe it's been 7 years. I think it will always seem like yesterday. I was a 3rd grade teacher and we were about an hour from lunch time. It was a beautiful sunny day out and the older kids were out for recess. Suddenly, they all came in way too early. I thought maybe it was because we'd been on alert for a child predator loose in the area. Then, one by one, half of my students' parents came to pick them up. I looked at my cell phone and had nearly 20 missed calls. I knew something bad was happening. There was a tv in our room, but I was afraid to turn it on because I didn't want to expose the children to whatever was happening - that was their parents' decision, not mine. When I first heard about the first plane, people were saying they thought it was a Cessna and that it was an accident. When my kids went to lunch, I went to the teachers' lounge, where the tv was on and it became apparent it was no accident. By that time, I believe the second plane had hit and I'm not sure if the first tower had collapsed yet. A friend of mine lived in Michigan where I live, but worked in the Pentagon on the day of the week the attacks occurred. For some freaky reason, she wasn't at work that day. I remember the years immediately following were difficult because the kids didn't know how to deal with it and when I had middle eastern children in my class, it was a constant battle to stop accusing comments. It's like there are two time periods in our lives - before 9/11 and after. May God give peace to the families who lost loved ones that day.

These are some pictures of our trip to NYC in September of 2005. All but the last are of Ground Zero.

"The Cross"

A building directly next to ground zero who's windows were all blown out during the events of 9/11/01. The building was scheduled for demolition because it was so badly damaged it was beyond safe repair.

The gaping hole in the ground - an entire city block - where the two towers used to stand.

"Trinity Root" at Trinity Church

Very close to Ground Zero is the earliest commisioned church in NYC, Trinity Church (There are soldiers buried there from the Revolutionary War. The church was chartered by King William III in 1697 and received a large grant of real estate west of Broadway - 311 years ago. It was re-built after it was destroyed in the 1776 NYC fire). It's the church featured in the end of the first "National Treasure" movie. Even older and closer to Ground Zero is St. Paul's Chapel. A sycamore tree sheltered the 238-year-old Chapel (which is directly across the street from Ground Zero) from the blast created by the falling towers. The tree itself was ripped out of the ground. An artist made a mold of the stump from the tree and with other tree segments made a large sculpture called Trinity Root to stand as a testament to life, humanity and the positive response to the catastrophe. It stands in the front church yard of Trinity Church. The 238-year-old St. Paul's Church not only survived the 1776 New York City fire and the attack on the World Trade Center unscathed, but it became the center of hope, refuge and faith in the months that followed. It became a sanctuary for thousands of volunteers, policemen, firemen and others who frequently made stops at the church, some after searching for bodies in what became known as "the pile" to pray as well as to seek comfort and strength. St. Paul's is the oldest public building still in continuous use in Manhattan and the city's lone remaining Colonial church. It was known primarily before Sept. 11 as the place where George Washington prayed on April 30, 1789, the day he was inaugurated as president .