Monica Iken remembers her husband Michael's last words to her from the 84th floor of the World Trade Center: "People are jumping out of the window. I have to go." These chilling words, spoken just moments before the South Tower was struck by a second plane on September 11, 2001, marked the beginning of Monica's nightmare.
Michael Iken was one of 2,977 victims of the terrorist attacks that day, and his body was never recovered. Monica, then 31, had been married to Michael for just 11 months. Their meeting on September 11, 1999, exactly two years before the tragedy, felt fateful. Michael had been convinced from the moment he saw Monica in a Manhattan bar that he would marry her and had waited for hours to speak with her.
Their courtship was swift. Michael proposed a month after they met, and they married in October 2000. The couple, who had moved into a rented apartment in Riverdale, had dreams of starting a family, with Michael particularly eager to become a father. However, Michael also harbored a premonition that he would not live to see old age, a sentiment Monica now understands with heartbreaking clarity.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Michael left for his job as a bond trader in good spirits, telling Monica, "I love you." Monica, who had recently left her teaching job, went back to sleep. She was awakened by the phone ringing, an unusual occurrence for a morning call from Michael. He called to tell her a plane had hit the North Tower, assuring her it wasn't his building and that she needn't worry. Minutes later, he called again, asking her to reassure family and friends as he was unable to do so himself. During this second call, he relayed the terrifying observation that people were jumping from windows, and he had to hang up.
Moments after their final conversation, Monica watched in horror on television as the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, struck the South Tower, where Michael worked. He was on the 84th floor. Monica later learned that some colleagues had stayed behind to help a co-worker, and it is believed Michael died from carbon monoxide poisoning, sparing him the terror of the tower's collapse.
In the immediate aftermath, Monica was consumed by grief and disbelief. She spent hours calling Michael's phone and, in a vivid dream, felt his presence, with him saying, "Monica. It's so beautiful here." Waking, she knew he was gone.
Her grief was compounded by the lack of a body for a funeral. Instead, a memorial mass was held. Monica found solace at Ground Zero, the site of her husband's death. Within weeks, she became a fervent advocate for a permanent memorial, even vowing to lie in front of the site if the city rebuilt over the remains of victims. This led her to found September's Mission, a non-profit organization aimed at creating a positive legacy from the 9/11 events.
She participated in "Listening To The City," a town meeting in New York where citizens discussed the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan and the memorialization of victims. This experience, documented in the film "9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero," stands out for Monica as an example of democratic participation that feels needed now more than ever.
Despite finding purpose in her advocacy, Monica struggled with alcoholism for years. In 2004, she met Bob Murphy, a firefighter who had responded to the site on 9/11 and lost his entire company. Their shared experiences of grief helped them connect. They married, and Monica's wedding ring incorporated diamonds from Michael's ring. They went on to have two daughters, Madison, now 21, and Megan, 19.
Monica has always ensured her daughters know about their stepfather, Michael, whom she considers a perpetual presence and protector of their family. While acknowledging the complexity of her situation for her husband Bob, she emphasizes that her love for Michael remains a part of her. She actively works to preserve Michael's memory, fearing what will happen if she is no longer there to share his story.
Monica continues to visit the memorial at Ground Zero, which she calls her "happy place." She hopes that her journey, from unimaginable loss to finding love and purpose, can inspire hope in others facing despair, demonstrating that healing and a meaningful future are possible.