95%

One aspect of 9/11 lost on most of the population is the ongoing efforts (yes, 4.5 years later) to identify all the remains found at Ground Zero. On Monday we buried what is believed to be Maria's upper torso, bringing, according to funeral home estimates, the total of her buried to about 95%, and what most believe will be the final tally.

I don't often let myself think about that day, it is too painful, but here are some out loud thoughts:
- It appears that my sister's body was in two major pieces, or one piece and many other pieces.
- I believed that day, and continue to believe, that she did not survive the incredible smoke, as she was on the next to top floor. That means that she had already died when the towers crashed, which caused the official 'blunt force trauma' listed on her death certificate.
- I continue to focus on the 41 years we had together rather than the 4 apart. She is missed by everyone in this family.
- I am reminded constantly of how fleeting this life is, and to cherish each moment with the loved ones around us.
- You often hear from 'the 9/11 victim's families', but I can tell you that they rarely solicit my family's feedback on those conversations. There are organized families fighting for different causes and I applaud many of them, and some I do not.
- My preference is that Ground Zero remain a big hole in the ground. There is no greater memorial than that, building anything on that ground just doesn't seem right. I know, you didn't ask...