Fragility vs. Resilience

Since September 11th is only a few days away, I feel like I have to address the topic in some sense. Since I've been a New York resident for nearly three years now, I can't ignore the impact that day ten years ago had on this area. Day to day reminders exist, whether it is by driving past a memorial on Long Island or walking alongside Ground Zero itself. I have never been an overly patriotic individual, but living in New York has instilled a certain level of pride in the strength a city can have. Ten years ago, I could not have imagined that I would be living in New York. I could not have imagined spending large parts of my week in and out of Manhattan. I could not have imagined that my younger sister would be living in the Financial District, the sun glaring off of the metal structure of the new 1 World Trade Center outside her window. Yet, here we are. We are living, working, and growing up in this fast-paced world of the metropolitan area.

Through all of this, I thought what I had learned is that humans are fragile. That we are too caught up in the routine to see the beauty. Merriam-Webster defines fragility as "the quality or state of being easily broken or destroyed." After pondering on this, I realized that while we may have fragile states or qualities, what we are most is resilient. Resilience, defined as "an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change," is far more accurate. The beauty of our lives is that we are ever-changing. Living in New York has taught me that the most. A response to change is one of the wonders of being alive. We are far more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for. 

We live a beautiful life, even amidst its chaos. And part of what makes it so beautiful is our ability to remember, to memorialize, and our will to continue. While I am unsure of what the future has in store, I am certain that New York will always be one of the places I call "home." And the strength of New York is something that is admirable. For making me realize this, I will always be grateful that I have the chance to grow here.