Candlelight Vigils (a spiritual experience)
Friday, Sept. 14, 2001 (photos and brief)
click to return to the WTC mainpage
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

I'd purchased about 34 candles for the sake of handing them out with a friend on the upper westside...'for some reason we decided to head on down to Times Square. There we were waiting and wondering what all the barricades were for? Turned out Bush and Clinton were to be heading on through. We opted instead to head on over to Bryant Park. Sure enough there were 40+ individuals singing patriotic and spiritual songs with their candles lit. I handed some out to those who didn't have any.

When it was done we walked north and chanced upon another group huddled behind the Grace Building at 43rd St. No songs here. People instead took turns sharing their stories and expressing their thoughts and pain. There we were in mass. In my own personal book, mass means a congregation of people getting together to share and pray.

We continued on north along 6th Ave and onto Broadway. At 59th St/Columbus Circle we came across still lit candles lined up along the fountain's edge. It was really beautiful. The memory of this will remain within my mind for a very long time. From this point, I'd say we came across maybe 15 more groups from 59th to 94th Streets. 'And where there were no people, there were the many lit candles left behind.

Perhaps this means something, perhaps I'm reading too much into it...But, it was a very breezy evening...and what struck me most was how the candles continued to burn. Perhaps the cool air was getting to me...BUT, shivers went up my spine and at one point, the hairs on my arms stood on end. It's just that these candles just kept on burning and burning and burning. 'And one 12" candle, me and a stranger lit up with nothing to support it...kept right on standing, and burning.....despite this wind.