By Kate Weldon LeBlanc
It made it seem extra cruel that it was such a gorgeous morning – one of those bright blue sky, chill in the air, September days that make you actually feel excited for summer to give way to autumn. Of course in the scheme of the unimaginable horror and sorrow of the day, it doesn’t matter that it was beautiful on September 11, 2001. But today marks fifteen years (15!?!) since this immense tragedy, and the weather is one of many things crystalized in my memory. The widespread grief and devastation of the 9/11 attacks meant that most everyone knew someone directly impacted. For us at RESOLVE New England (RNE), this was certainly true. A dear member of our community, Debby Fenn, lost her sister Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, on this day. Prior to 2001, Debby had been served by RNE on her path to parenthood. Lisa knew how desperately her sister wanted to be a mother, delighted when Debby welcomed her son, and was aware of how much RNE had assisted in the journey of Debby’s family. So after Lisa’s passing, her family helped develop RNE’s Lisa Fenn Gordenstein Scholarship, as a way to honor Lisa’s life by helping others build families of their own. Financial assistance from the scholarship is available so that individuals and couples can have full access to RNE membership and educational programs, including our annual conference. We are so grateful to have this resource for our community and are incredibly proud to honor Lisa in this way. Today, and every day, we are holding all those affected in our hearts.