My first mother's day was spent in France. We went to Normandy to see the American Military Cemetery there. It was a 2 hour drive from Paris. Well it took us 5 hours because of beach traffic. We had an 8 hour drive home and Andrew needed to be home so he could go to work the next day. It wasn't looking too promising. But the trip was well worth it.
This is Omaha beach, the place the allied troops landed during WWII. It was so pretty. It was sad thinking such a beautiful place had been the scene of such bloodshed.
"THE ALLIED FORCES LANDING ON THIS SHORE WHICH THEY CALL OMAHAM BEACH LIBERATE EUROPE-JUNE 6TH 1944"
This was part of the monument there on the beach. For more info about it check out this site: http://parisparfait.typepad.com/paris_parfait/2006/04/normandy_sculpt.html
(just copy and paste it)
And this was in the visitor's center there.
And this was in the visitor's center there.
"OUR DEBT TO THE HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER BE REPAID. THEY HAVE EARNED OUR UNDYING GRATITUDE. AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES"
This was in a chapel that was on the grounds there:
This was the ceiling in the chapel. It was beautiful.
This is us in front of a monument depicting the freedom of the spirits of those who died there. It was amazing.
Our first view of the cemetery. The grounds were beautiful. And the headstones seemed to go on forever.
My dad wanted to go to Normandy, that's why we made the trip. He was a marine. It was a moving experience for all of us but I think especially for him.
This picture brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it.
The feeling there is difficult to describe. There's such a feeling of reverence and sacredness.
It was almost overwhelming. It pressed down on you, you could feel it was a hallowed place.
Being a mom puts a new perspective on things too. Some of these men were husbands, some were brothers, some cousins and nephews. But ALL of them were sons.
I thought of their mothers on this mother's day. The grief mixed with the pride they must have felt. I was grateful for my own son and thought about how I don't know what's in his future, but I know he has a promising future. He has what he has today, we all do, because these men gave their lives to protect it.
It puts a new meaning on the price of freedom. I came away with a new respect for those who served our country to allow us to keep our freedom as well as those who serve today.
This was the ceiling in the chapel. It was beautiful.
This is us in front of a monument depicting the freedom of the spirits of those who died there. It was amazing.
Our first view of the cemetery. The grounds were beautiful. And the headstones seemed to go on forever.
My dad wanted to go to Normandy, that's why we made the trip. He was a marine. It was a moving experience for all of us but I think especially for him.
This picture brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it.
The feeling there is difficult to describe. There's such a feeling of reverence and sacredness.
It was almost overwhelming. It pressed down on you, you could feel it was a hallowed place.
Being a mom puts a new perspective on things too. Some of these men were husbands, some were brothers, some cousins and nephews. But ALL of them were sons.
I thought of their mothers on this mother's day. The grief mixed with the pride they must have felt. I was grateful for my own son and thought about how I don't know what's in his future, but I know he has a promising future. He has what he has today, we all do, because these men gave their lives to protect it.
It puts a new meaning on the price of freedom. I came away with a new respect for those who served our country to allow us to keep our freedom as well as those who serve today.
1 comments:
Reminds me of a song - "Find the Cost of Freedom" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Dad used it in the slideshow of the Gettysburg trip.
http://www.lyricsondemand.com/c/crosbystillsnashyounglyrics/findthecostoffreedomlyrics.html
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