Ellis Island

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On May 7, 1920, my grandfather immigrated to this country, as a steerage passenger on the S.S. Celtic from Liverpool. It was a journey that could have taken anywhere from a week to a month, in conditions that were hardly plush. He waited in this hall on that day for his turn to be "processed", and then allowed to continue on his way to Boston.

Our visits this weekend also included the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center site. I was unprepared for how moving our sightseeing adventures would be. Being in these places, one feels very small, yet fortunate to be part of something much greater. A word like "sacrifice" takes on new meaning from my comfortable perspective. A word like "gratitude" acquires new depth.