If you need to know about the never-ending emotional pain from Sept. 11, ask a mother. When asked what she lost, Lottie Solomon -- the mother of a 9/11 victim -- said, "A part of my life. My heart. My soul. It all went."
You could also ask a brother like Mark Solomon. He said, "She was my big sister. She will always be my big sister even though I'm now older than she is. Sometimes I think about that."
And then another brother, like Jed Solomon. He said, "She is a hero in her own family, but she would have been a hero in her own family whether or not she was a victim of 911."
Naomi Solomon is one of nearly 3,000 names we will hear at the World Trade Center on Sunday. Regardless, she is so much more than that to her mother, Lottie. She had not looked at Naomi's black and white childhood photos in years because she said it was just too painful.
At times like this, a mother remembers her little girl who grew up to be a high school valedictorian, who went on to Stanford. Naomi was the vice president of a small computing company they day she went to a technology conference in the World Trade Center's north tower. It was a rare visit.
"It just was coincidence. She was there only 15 minutes before the plane struck," said Mark.
"She was on the 106th floor," said Lottie.
When the call came, both brothers told their mother.
Jed recalls it was "the hardest thing in my life."
"I think she jumped, I'm pretty sure. It was as if I dreamed it. I don't know, I'm pretty sure she would have jumped," said Lottie.
Even now, Lottie keeps the remnants of Naomi's things in the house and garage.
"Many of the things we've taken out and used, some things we've discarded," said Mark.
It's tangible stuff 10 years later from a life and loved one lost.
"It is no different for me than the ninth [anniversary], or the eighth, or the seventh, or every single one. Life's the same without her, that's all. It's a loss... and a pain. Never changes... night, day, doesn't matter because you know it's just not the right order things. You shouldn't lose your children," said Lottie.
Lottie will not make the trip to Ground Zero this year, but her son Mark will.
The One World Center Trade Tower is going up and it will be 105 stories tall when finished and a symbolic 1,776 feet in the air.
Special Coverage:
ABC7 News will carry special coverage of the nation's commemoration of 9/11. Beginning Friday, Wayne Freedman will report live from New York City and Lilian Kim from Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
On Sunday, ABC News begins our live coverage of the September 11th ceremonies with a special edition of Good Morning America from 5 a.m. - 8 a.m. and that will be followed by ABC 7 Morning News from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
