The Memorial

When I found out that we were going to Oklahoma City, I knew that I wanted to visit the memorial and pay my respects to those who so senselessly died. I didn't know anyone who had died in the tragedy but I still felt it was important to go and remember them and say a prayer for the families that were left behind.

I wasn't sure what to expect because I have never been to a memorial before. I expected it to be very somber and very sad.

It was.

The memorials' tone is set from the moment you see it as you are driving up. It instantly produced a feeling of mourning. It sort of looks like a tombstone.



As you stand at the opening in the wall you see a beautiful reflecting pool and reflected in it another wall, identical to the first. Each wall has a time inscribed on it. The front wall says 9:01 and the back one says 9:03. The bomb went off at 9:02. The entire memorial is set up to remember and reflect on the events set in motion by that one minute. To never forget the incredible destruction and trauma that can happen in a moment of time.



To the left of the stairs leading down is a partial wall of the original building.



To the right of the entrance is the most beautiful and gigantic tree that commemorates the heroism of all the rescue workers. * I was wrong. This is a 90 year old tree that survived the bomb so it commemorates the survivors. There is an orchard of trees that celebrates the rescue workers. I didn't know it was there though so we didn't walk through it.




The way chosen to honor those who died was with a chair. One for each person who died. There are 168 chairs. Each chair is in a row that corresponds with the floor on which they worked.









As I walked around the pool I was met with two very conflicting emotions: peace and sadness. I think that is the sign of a very well designed memorial.





I was glad that we went but I am sad that it was necessary to go at all. I will never understand why people feel the best way to get their point across is with a bomb.