FRIDAY, June 23 - ELLIS ISLAND

Today was Ellis Island Day!! Nancy and I were up early and we caught the subway at Times Square and got off at South Ferry. We walked over to Castle Clinton and bought our tickets for the boat ride over to Ellis Island. Security is incredible. Nancy said that the high level of security was also evident during her trip to Washington D.C.

Many of you know that my grandmother, Mary Mearon, came over from Ireland in 1905. I feel a special kinship with Ellis Island and when we got off the boat, I felt a little emotional. It is hard to put into words, but I thought of all the thousands of people who came to Ellis Island because they had a dream for a better life - their presence is still there.

We had decided to do everything Ellis Island had to offer, so we started off with a live play called, "Embracing Freedom". The actors were great and they used authentic pictures to set the scene of retelling stories of real people who came to this country. After the play, we went to see a movie called, "Island of Hope, Island of Tears", narrated by Gene Hackman. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a copy of this 25 minute film to share with my classes.

At one point in our day, we sat down on real benches that had been saved from the original furnishings of the building. As I sat there and touched the wood, I couldn't help but think of all the people who sat there and touched the wood as they waited to find out the fate of the rest of their lives. It was comforting to learn that about 98% of the people who came to Ellis Island, made it through!!