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Diana Lorditch-Smith, a New York native, decorates her Colington Road yard for Patriot's Day to encourage the community to remember. Summer Stevens photo

More than 100 flags and other pieces of decor were displayed outside at the Lorditch-Smith home on Colington Road. Visitors were encouraged to stop to walk around and reflect. Summer Stevens photo

Diana Lorditch-Smith lived in New York during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Summer Stevens photo

More than 100 flags and other pieces of decor were displayed outside at the Lorditch-Smith home on Colington Road. Visitors were encouraged to stop to walk around and reflect. Summer Stevens photo

More than 100 flags and other pieces of decor were displayed outside at the Lorditch-Smith home on Colington Road. Visitors were encouraged to stop to walk around and reflect. Summer Stevens photo

More than 100 flags and other pieces of decor were displayed outside at the Lorditch-Smith home on Colington Road. Visitors were encouraged to stop to walk around and reflect. Summer Stevens photo

Diana Lorditch-Smith lived in New York on September 11, 2001 when terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers in Manhattan.

“It was so surreal,” she said of that day. “Nobody ever thought this was going to happen. People just got up in the morning like they always did.”

She went to Ground Zero two days after the attack, and the images of that day are still just as clear as they were 23 years ago.

“The devastation …” she trails off. “All the stores were closed. There were signs on the doors saying, ‘open to first responders.’ Store owners were just giving things away [for free to first responders]. The people that were there were helping to look [for survivors]. The walls were plastered with pictures – Have you seen this person? Have you seen this person?”

Her voice breaks.

“Thousands and thousands of them. To tell you that, to see that, I can still remember it.”

Lorditch-Smith decorates her yard every year for Patriot Day. This year, she put up more than 100 flags, both large and small, throughout her yard and property and hanging on her house. One prominent flag, which was purchased at Ground Zero, has the name of every American who died on September 11.

She has several torches lit that remained on throughout the night and into Thursday. People who drive by honk or wave to show support, and many others get out of their cars and walk around her yard, taking time to reflect.

She invites the public to stop and remember – because it is a day worth remembering.

“It seems like so many people have forgotten that today is Patriot Day. It’s kind of sad … This is a day that should be in our history books. Kids should know,” she said.

When asked if she lost someone on September 11, Lorditch-Smith replied: “Didn’t we all lose somebody that day? Ourselves, our country? Everybody lost something that day whether it was a physical body or our freedoms.”

Lorditch-Smith, who lives on Colington Road directly across from the entrance to Colington Harbour, dreams of having her entire yard full of American flags to display on Patriot Day. Some of her flags are gifts from friends, and she encourages anyone in the community with flags to donate to drop them off at her house, where she will store them until next September.

“I would love to have my entire yard covered,” she said.

And the reason?

“If you live in this day you should know what today is about. Patriot Day is about the people who passed and about us remembering.”

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