Dawn Garcia

“This day I remember well. It is the very first moment in my life when I saw desperation enacted by hate. I watched as the second plane flew into the second tower, the pit in my stomach plummeting to a place I have yet to recover. The devastation of those jumping, the visions of cement and debris falling from the sky like thunder. I remember not being able to reach my friends and coworkers, the fear paralyzing me as I imagined them fighting for their lives and the lives of countless others. I remember my cousin who was in the Pentagon who was narrowly spared that day. That day — like it did for so many — that changed me. Forever.
And while we honor those lost and remember those who did such things, remember that it was everyone coming together that saved this nation. It was us standing beside one another regardless of politics or religion, race or gender, and no one cared about wealth or poverty, or anything else for that matter. In that moment America stood tall.
Today we are completely undone … unraveled and our excuse is moot.
I wish we could, as a nation, realize that 9/11 represented a multitude of things.
Our freedom, our fear, our triumphant spirit to overcome tragedy and terrorism—foreign and domestic—and our ability to eliminate prejudice when confronting human decency.
Today we remember the many lives lost, those still suffering, and those who bravely and courageously continue to do all they can to protect our freedom to speak out, to challenge oppressors, and to rise above the lunacy. New Yorkers are proof that communities of all colors, beliefs and socio economic statuses can come together in the face of adversity. I hope this country — state by state — can stop acting like children and instead act like human beings. That we can be worthy of the months and weeks and days that followed 9/11 when we rose to the occasion as a collective whole.”
― Dawn Garcia

“I'm searching for my unbridled optimism again. It appears to be lost under a pile of laundry.”
― Dawn Garcia

“Always remember how brave a wild seed is. It is buried in darkness, covered by the heaviness of dirt and uncertainty, and yet without anyone watering it, it nurtures itself in the soul of the soil and it bursts through the weighted barriers, up towards the sunshine, only to become absolutely brilliant and beautiful. It grows and thrives in spite of what it has endured.

Be that seed and do not give up on that nearly impossible dream, because as I’ve said a thousand times, nearly impossible is still possible.”
― Dawn Garcia

“You are the artist of your life. Don't give the paintbrush to anyone else.”
― Iva Ursano, The Shear Truth: 10 Things Your Hairstylist Really Wants You to Know.