Friday, September 11, 2009

The 2,996 - I Remember Marlyn delCarmen Garcia



This is a repost of my 9/11/2006 post, with some new comments and thoughts.

Meezers Mom Mary:

"
Where were you when the world stopped turning"?
I did not personally know anyone in the Towers, on the planes or in the Pentagon that lost their lives that day. However, I signed up to be part of the
2,996 bloggers to remember an individual who was lost on September 11, 2001. This is a rememberance of one of the lights that was snuffed out that day.

There are not enough words for me to begin to honor or remember. I hope that I can do a little justice to Marlyn's short life.


Marlyn C Garcia
Age: 21
Location: World Trade Center, Tower 1, 100th floor, Marsh and McLennan Cos, Inc

Miss Garcia was the valedictorian of her high school class at Bay Ridge Christian Academy. She was described as mature beyond her years. Smart. Sweet. Prom Queen. A young woman with character. Always smiling. Always nice to everyone. She turned down a scholarship to Syracuse University to remain close to her family, going instead to John Jay College, where, again, she touched so many lives with her kindness and smile. She was attending college as she worked at Marsh and McLennan. She would arrive an hour early each day so that she could leave to attend school in the afternoons. She wanted to work for the United Nations, travel, advocate for those who could not speak for themselves, to spread her light to others.
She had an entire lifetime ahead of her.
She had potential.
She was small. She was fearless. She was determined.
She loved her family. Her parents, her 2 sisters, her Uncle, to whom she wrote on Monday night, Sept 10 " I hope I get to see you Tuesday, I am going into work a little late because I want to vote" September 11 was New York City Mayoral Primary day.
She was a person that any young woman should look up to as an example of a caring and loving person. Someone to stive to be like. A loving Daughter, Sister, Neice, Cousin, Friend. A shining light.
In every rememberance of Marlyn that I have read, everyone has described her as being one thing - an Angel. She was an Angel on earth to so many. She was, sadly, in Tower 1 when the plane hit. One of the 2,996 called Home that day. Called Home to be an Angel looking down on everyone she knew and cared about. To now spread her light from above.



I cannot believe that it has been five years. The emotions and feelings I have are still as raw as they were that day. In my cedar chest in my bedroom, I have copies of the New York Daily News, dated September 12, 2001, and showing all of the horror in still photographs. I looked at them on the day I purchased them. I have not looked at them since. I cannot ever forget those pictures. They are burned in my memory. I keep the papers to remember. I don't know why. I can't forget. I will never forget. None of us should never forget, so that will not happen again.


When I wrote these words 3 years ago I could not believe the pain could still be so fresh in my heart. A couple of weeks ago, I went into my cedar chest and I looked at those papers dated 9/12/2001. I cried, gut wrenching, all out sobbing crying. And I thought about Marlyn. And I prayed that the terror for her was short.

On the night of 9/11/2001, we had a candelight walk in our neighborhood, led by the children. Then we all put our candles out on our porch to burn down during the night. When I light a candle tonight, as I did that night, and as I do every September 11, I will light it in Marlyn's memory.

Marlyn Garcia I will never forget you.

38 comments:

Big Piney Woods Cats said...

Wonderful and touching. What a sad day for all. The shock of what happened took weeks for me to comprehend. Still, to this day, I can't believe it. Sept. 11 is burned in my memory.

CalicoMom Toni

Edsel/The Pooch said...

thank you Mary, Miles and Sammy. it's so hard to remember that awful day and so easy for most of us to forget....those of us who had no loved ones in the carnage. we will also light a candle.
Edsel and Edselsmom

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

That is a beautiful touching tribute that once again has brought tears to my eyes. Like most other people I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that terrible day. I was just taking a coffee to my husband Ivor in the workshop, and I can here him as plain today as then saying,"There's been a terrible accident, a plane has gone into the WTC,go and put the TV on and see if there is any news about it" As I turned the TV on the second plane hit, and I knew then as did everybody else that this was no accident, and the world we live in had changed forever.
Eric and Flynn's mum Jackie

Lone Star Purrs said...

That is a wonderful tribute. We're gonna go start on ours now.
::Purrs::
~Meeko & Kiara (Emmy too)

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Sammy,Miles and MaryMom,

Thank you for remembering Marlyn. You honor her with your beautiful words and I know her family and friends would be deeply touched by the thoughtful tribute you have written for her today.

It is with great sadness that I think of 9/11. I am struck by how each of the indivdual tributes to the 2,996 are more impactful than thinking of the losses in abstract terms of thousands lost that day. It takes it down to a personal level for me.

I also found in researching the man I came to honor a feeling of not wanting to let him go. The more I learned about him, the stronger I felt to him.

I do hope that everyone will remember.

Abby's Mom

Renee Nefe said...

If everyone does as good of a job as you did, I'm going to be all out of tears.

I've posted my tribute as well. Hug those kitties.

Hot(M)BC said...

I second Renee's words. What a beautiful tribute, Mary.
~~ Robyn

Zeus said...

Nicely done, Mary. I am sure you honor Marlyn's family and friends through this tribute.

craziequeen said...

MaryMom - very nice :-)

Mama found it hard to writes her tree-boot, but felt a sort of release afterwards.

p&c

Rascal said...

Lovely! A wonderful tribute.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Such a BEAUTIFUL Tribute to such a lovely young woman...21 years old. So very very sad...all these losses....
I cannot imagine how hardcevery minute of every day is for the survivors--the families of those lost so horribly that terrible day...

Oscar the Puppy Cat said...

Marlyn was so young! She was a beautiful girl with much ahead of her. Your tribute brought her to life and for that I thank you so much. Like you, I didn't know anyone who lost their life that day but I felt it was important to remember them too. In answer to the question in the beginning of your tribute, I do remember where I was the day the Earth stopped turning.

Kukka-Maria said...

What an intimate look at such a global tragedy! Thank you.

Emma's Kat said...

Such a young life taken early. What a beautiful tribute! I must get a tissue now.

LZ said...

That is very lovely and touching. It always amazes me how much that day touched our lives. Today was like an exact replica in temperature and weather to that day 5 years ago.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful tribute to a lovely woman who had so much living left to do. It's tragic and sad that she was taken from this world so early.
Karen

Carolina Cats said...

Mary,

Thank you for sharing Marlyn's story. What a focused and lovely person she was. It breaks my heart to read of someone so young with so much ahead of them being taken from us this way. I hope we can all learn from the lives that were lost and be more aware of our own and the good we can do every day.

Nora

PrincessMia said...

That was a beautiful tribute. ::purrs::

Rosie & Cheeto said...

This is very touching. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

-Rosie and Cheeto's lady

Carmen said...

i'm still getting around to all of these. Thanks to your mom for remembering.

If you scroll down a bit on my blog, you can see my tribute.

Wendy Hoke said...

Thank you. For WW Sept. 11, 2001 is difficult in many ways. She knew many people at Cantor Fitzgerald. It was also the beginning of the end of a career. Nuf Said.

Skittles
&
WW

Mickey's Musings said...

That was a lovely tribute to a lovely woman.
That day will be forever etched in many people's minds.We will never forget and we hope that we work that much harder for world peace.

Us4 Cats said...

a very nice post of you to include.

-us4gatos

Jans Funny Farm said...

You honored her with this post.

We can not forget!

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Wow is about all we khan paw...

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

The Island Cats said...

What a wonderful tribute! We will never forget that tragic day that changed the course of the world or those that were lost that day....

Tuck said...

What a beautiful post. Marlyn was one of so many that were stolen away way too soon. I participated in Project 2996 this year and it is heartbreaking to research a person. I wonder how her family is holding up, what they are doing today. I, like you, will never forget...

The Florida Furkids said...

What a beautiful post. We remember and always will.

Sniffie and the Florida Furkids

Cory said...

Such a beautiful post. ::purrr::

Reese =^..^= said...

Lovely tribute. Remembering...

Ariel said...

Beautiful tribute post.I will never forget that day and all the lost.

The Creek Cats said...

This was a beautiful tribute to Marlyn.

We remember today too.

Unknown said...

We will always remember and never forget. Its a wonderful tribute to Marlyn.

Mr. Hendrix said...

that is so beautiful. wow, 21 years old. jeez.

mommy watches the memorial coverage every year, even tho it makes her cry. she flips to MSNBC too because they run their Sept. 11, 2001 coverage in real time and she remembers how she felt that morning. she also has papers saved that she can't read.

we are participating in project 2996 today as well. we remember all those who passed that day

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful tribute. We will never forget either.

Sunny,Scooter, (sometimes Jamie) said...

What a wonderful tribute. Mom is leaking as she has done off and on all day. We wil never, ever forget. Ever. Our hooman brother is still in the fight against the cowards who took Marilyn and all the others that day.
Hugs, and sad licks on this day.
the texas sun dogs, Sunny&Scooter
and Jamie, the mom

Halloween said...

Dear Meezers, That is a beautiful tribute. We will remember Marilyn in our purrs and prayers.

Halloween

PS, Meezers, my people are flying into Syracuse and then driving up to Canton, NY to attend a memorial service. They promise to wave as they fly over your Meezer house!

Unknown said...

I want to say thank you for kindly for your words. Marlyn was such a beautiful person. Our friendship was one of a kind. This tribute brought tears to my eyes. I read many comments they were all very touching. Today is Her Birthday Happy Birthday Beautiful Sleep in Paradise.Your Deeply Missed My Angel ��

Good bye my sweet Nicky

 Good bye my sweet sweet Nicky.  You has a hard time sometimes with your brain injury, but you were always so sweet.  I love you to the moon...