Spending a Morning with Franklin

I traveled to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and read about wars and starvation and the loss of hope, but yet I felt peaceful. The memorial rises from the ground like a fortress, casting its shadow upon visitors. Waterfalls cascade down the granite, and if you sit and watch for long enough, you can almost see the rock chipping away piece by piece, eroding what is meant to be permanent. I could feel the earth beneath my feet, solid, comforting, as I traversed a web of wide aisles and sharp turns, stepping into the life of a president who faced great adversity. In those moments, as I read inscriptions and observed statues, I felt connected to FDR, as if we had known each other in another time. As I reached the end of my walk, I looked upon a life-sized statue of Mr. Roosevelt in all his greatness, sitting in a wheelchair looking jubilant. It struck me that this was a space dedicated not just to him, but to all the people who have overcome challenges, who have faced hardship head on. Not only is this memorial a beautiful commemoration of a life, but also an ode to the lives that President Roosevelt touched, not just as the leader of a country, but also as a person. For the contribution that he made to America and also for the way that Roosevelt touched my life this morning, I am thankful.

Father: I have seen war.

Child: I have seen beauty.

Father: I have seen war on the land and sea.

Child: I have seen beauty in the flowers and bees.

Father: I have seen the dead in the mud.

Child: I have seen the leaves in the wind.

Father: I have seen cities destroyed.

Child: I have seen newborns smiling.

Father: I have seen children starving.

Child: I have seen tails wagging.

Father: I have seen the agony of mothers and wives.

Child: I have seen the freedom of birds and bugs.

Father: I hate war.

Child: I hate war.