We visited the exciting city of Washington, D.C. where there is an unlimited number of interesting things to see. We saw a fraction of them, yet we saw a lot.
First, we were visiting our son and his wife and their two children. That was the best part, and the reason for our visit to the area. They moved in January for our son’s training to become a Foreign Service Officer. It was great to see all of them. The kids were on spring break from school so, while the parents went to work during the week, we took the kids exploring.
We took two days to walk around the National Mall; the area with the reflecting pool surrounded by the domed U.S. Capital, the Whitehouse and many monuments and Smithsonian museums. We missed the peak of the famous cherry blossoms which were in full bloom one week prior to our visit. However, there were a few lingering trees in bloom near our son’s apartment.
Our first day on the Mall we began our walk past the Whitehouse.
Next, we walked towards the reflecting pool and the World War II Memorial, and on to the Vietnam War memorial.
The Vietnam War memorial is an impressive, black marble wall with the names carved into it of all who died in the war, or from causes directly related to the war.
Next to this memorial was the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, created to commemorate the 265,000 women that served in the Vietnam War, many of whom worked as nurses. It was significant to see because I had just finished reading Kristin Hannah’s book, The Women, a story about three nurses who served in Vietnam (a recommended read).
After a snack lunch, we walked up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. This is a very impressive monument that brought tears to my eyes. We stood in awe at the looming sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, with some of his quotes carved in the marble walls that surrounded his figure. And though there were many people crowding the area, it was a very poignant moment.
We made a quick stop at the Korean War Memorial, but by now, we were tired and started our walk back to the metro station. We passed the Washington monument on our way, which we could see throughout the day, towering above us from every angle on the Mall.
These monuments and memorials are a tribute to great men and women who served in leadership positions and the United States military service. It was good to see them.
Thank you for a poignant reminder of the contributions and sacrifices of many wise and brave souls throughout the course of our national sojourn. We have weathered hard times in the past and have the resources to continue on a path of dignity, freedom and respect. Not sure how that will unfold but holding out hope that love will prevail.