I find myself thinking about 9/11 a lot. Perhaps more than you might expect. I was actually booked to fly that day on a 3:20 flight from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts via JFK. Needless to say, the flight was cancelled. When I finally flew out -I think it was on 9/14 – the trip was notable both because there was virtually no air traffic, and the sight of lower Manhattan without the twin towers was incredibly disconcerting. If I’m honest, I still haven’t gotten used to it. It’s like my brain struggles to process the fact that they are no longer there.
Years before 9/11 I bought my first piece of pottery from an artist named Mikael Carstanjen. Far from being high-brow, the pieces were functional and they reminded me of my summers in New England. I loved seeing Mikael at craft or pottery shows and I added a piece or two regularly to my set.
On 9/11, Mikael’s son, Christoffer Mikael Carstanjen, was on United Airlines flight 175, bound for LA from Boston. He died at 9:03 AM, along with 50 other passengers and 9 crew members, when the five terrorists on board crashed the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Christoffer is number 383 on the official list of 9/11 victims.
Christoffer’s dad, Mikael, stopped making his pottery shortly after 9/11. He closed his studio and stopped attending shows. I still value and treasure the pieces I have. About a year ago I was walking through an art exhibition in Provincetown, Massachusetts and a painting caught my eye. It was beautiful and I was thrilled to see that Mikael was the artist. He is still creating art. His grief did not take that from him. There is a lesson there in resilience that we can all use.
Hug someone you love today. Remember that none of us are guaranteed another day. Let us all never forget those lost on 9/11 and those they left behind. ❤️🕊🕊🕊❤️
I knew Michele #1172.
It’s a day I will never forget. How can you? I’m surprised that a few of the blogs I read made no mention of 9/11.
So, I want to thank you for sharing this.
((((((())))))
Monica
Thank you Monica. My heart has broken for 20 years for this family, and all the other families devastated that day. I debated about posting, but we need to remember Michele and Christoffer and all the other victims. ❤️
What happened that day, still remains etched in our minds and hearts forever…..so many people died…my heart goes out to the families they left behind