Waking Up Grateful: Paige Farley-Hackel’s Gratitude List Now on View in Memorial Exhibition
Every day Paige Farley-Hackel wrote down five things for which she was grateful. According to her husband, Allan, this practice reflected her innate optimism. Paige, a native of Framingham, Mass., lived with her husband in Newton. She was a writer and motivational speaker and devoted herself to mindfulness and meditation after overcoming difficulties in her 20s. Paige was planning to launch a radio show, “Spiritually Speaking,” in hopes of helping others. On 9/11, she boarded Flight 11 to Los Angeles, where she was going to meet with radio producers. At the same time, her best friend, Ruth Magdaline McCourt, and goddaughter, Juliana Valentine McCourt, boarded Flight 175. The trio planned to meet in California, and Paige and Ruth had planned to surprise Juliana with a trip to Disneyland.
The day before Sept. 11, 2001, Paige wrote “safe planes” on her gratitude list (not featured). On view in the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s memorial exhibition is a sample of Paige’s gratitude list from a notebook originally loaned and recently donated to the Museum by her husband. The selection of artifacts currently on view in the memorial exhibition all speak to the hobbies, writings or drawings of 19 of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 and Feb. 26, 1993 terror attacks.
By 9/11 Memorial Staff
On the 18th anniversary of 9/11, teachers and students from around the world will join us for the Anniversary in the Schools, a free webinar that aims to provide a new, meaningful way to deepen students’ knowledge about the events that unfolded. Registration is open for the webinar.
In the years following the attacks, many 9/11 family members have donated art created by their loved ones. Some of these items are currently on display in the memorial exhibition or featured in the Artists Registry.