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This post has been sitting in my drafts folder since April 15, 2012. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to finally finish this post. I had briefly started it in the airport on my way home from New York, but there it sat. Now that my trip to New York has been over a year ago, it’s sort of fun to think back on my time there…
When I found out I would be heading to NYC for work, I immediately knew that I wanted to see the 9/11 Memorial. My time at the memorial was really emotional and moving, and I think I will forever remember the details of my time there like I remember the details of those first days in 2001.
One of my favorite parts of the 9/11 memorial was seeing the survivor tree:
The survivor tree with the new World Trade Center behind it (4/2012)
The Survivor Tree is a Callery Pear tree, and it has a pretty amazing story. From a notecard enclosed with the wall hang below, this is the story: “The tree was originally planted at the world trade center complex in the 1970’s. It was discovered in the rubble weeks after the 9/11 attacks with snapped roots and a blackened trunk. It was taken to the Arthur Ross Nursery in van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx and nursed back to health. It was 8 feet tall at the time of the attacks and now stands 35 feet tall. It was replanted at the site on 12/22/2010. The tree symbolizes the city and country’s resilience“.
Resilience. I love the concept and felt like it was so important that I measured scores of resiliency as part of my thesis for my master’s program. Resiliency- the ability to overcome or bounce back to original form. This tree for me will always be a picture of what resiliency is.
As a counselor, too, this tree spoke volumes to me. This is what I want for my clients, friends, family, and myself. I ended up getting a necklace that was a smaller branch from the tree (metal leaves and small pearls for the flowers). I love wearing it because every time I see it in the mirror or feel it around my neck it’s another reminder of the great resiliency that we as people hold within us (and which I have the opportunity to help people develop in their lives!). I also got this little wall hang:
This sits right next to my closet so it’s one of the first things I see in the morning. Again, it’s a regular reminder of resiliency and what I strive for in my job every day.
When I think about my time in NYC, I had so much fun and really did enjoy everything I did and saw. However, this is the first thing I think about and the most powerful memory: the beautiful resiliency that we possess.
[…] only talked about the idea of resiliency once (i think!) on the blog, and it was in discussing the Survivor Tree. Today I’m talking about resilience in terms of working on developing it for […]
Thank you for sharing this. I was recently in New York CIty with my son and heard about the “Survivor Tree” at the 911 memorial. I will be taking a trip to the memorial on my 35th birthday in January. My reason behind the visit is because this tree demonstates resilence, as you have stated, and that means a lot to me in regards to where I am now and where I have come from in my life.
What a cool idea!!!