Lest we Forget. On the solemnity of this special day–September 11, 2001, twenty-three years ago, we cried, America cried, a day that will never be forgotten as we pause to remember those innocent victims, with sorrow in our hearts and a pain that will never be erased, who were incinerated alive by the murderous Islamist terrorists. On a beautiful Tuesday morning, twenty-three years ago, a caring and wonderful person, Lydia Estelle Bravo, a cousin of my wife Jo Emma and her two siblings, Gloria Alicia and Edward, had returned to work as a nurse at the Marsh & McLennan Offices, located in the World Trade Center, Tower No. 2, after spending a week in Mexico with her fiancé.
On the Monday evening, Lydia, known for her passion for cooking, had prepared a pot of ribollita, a Tuscan stew of beans and greens, and celebrated their return to their home in New Jersey with a bottle of Sangiovese. She was a devoted cook, having taken classes at Peter Kumps, and had hundreds of cookbooks, some picked up at the flea markets, others on trips abroad since she loved to travel. Whenever Lydia went to Italy, she would peek into kitchens and chatted with the cooks. At work, she was known for organizing health fairs and was also concern about taking the blood pressure for the office personnel. She also loved flamenco music.
Sadly, Lydia, was fifty years old when she perished that morning along with 3,000 other innocent people. So long as we live, she too shall live for she will always be a part of our lives, as we remember her. May God bless America and may we never forget.
