'A Stone of Hope'



We were planning to head north to the beach to celebrate the official end of summer. However, we decided to slow it down and relax at home with the family. As the day progressed, one teen had tennis practice and the other made plans to attend his school's football game. That was my cue to follow through with plan B and head out with my sis and our little guys to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

After circling the memorial a couple times we finally found a parking space. It was amazing and quite crowded. As I approached the memorial I looked up and was greeted with the phrase; 'OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A STONE OF HOPE'. A calm came over me as I read this phrase. My sister and I perused the area, took a few pictures and explained to our sons the significance of Dr. King. My 7 year old son recited a portion of the 'I Have a Dream' speech while my 5 year old nephew became sad that Dr. King was killed. We walked a bit more reading the various quotes that lined the walls of the memorial. It was both a proud and overwhelming experience.

Dr. King's memorial sits on the Potomac river between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. Toward the end of our visit, we sat on the river. Though the memorial was crowded and at times you could barely hear yourself think, you felt at peace. There was a calm that was evident. Dr. King's image looks out toward the Jefferson monument echoing hope.  A hope that the promises made in our Constitution would be promises kept.

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Despite the critisms that were rightfully expressed about the memorial and errors made; you will be filled with hope and pride when you visit this historic memorial.
Take your family to witness history, American history and feel the peace that embodies it. You will not regret your visit to the ' Stone of Hope' that evolved from a 'Mountain of Despair'. Be curious, be proud, be hopeful and embrace your journey.