This illustration was inspired by an encounter at the Memorial before the Pandemic began. A woman brought a tiny little Forget Me Not flower to the sight of Tower 1, and tucked it inside a man’s name. Then she left without a word or a glance back. It was a windy November day yet it stayed there the entire time of my visit. I don’t know if she knew I saw her private tribute, but that didn’t matter. The action spoke of the love and the loss she felt in the aftermath of his death. It made the tragedy of the attack more heartbreaking than it already was before the encounter.

It was an honor to be allowed to witness something so private and personal. I chose to commemorate the Forget Me Not tribute in the form of a dictionary page. In knowing the deeper meaning behind the woman’s flower, it hammered in a deep empathy for the loved ones of those killed in the 9/11 attack.