A Busy June Sunday in Washington DC

Although I am prone to hyperbole, it is no exaggeration to say that after 12 hours of restful sleep the world looked a whole lot brighter the next morning. We awoke about 7 a.m. feeling much refreshed and not quite so grumpy. I use the word "we" in the way that guest speakers often do, like they've got a mouse in their pocket as they make their pronouncement.

Armed with a new cache of energy we left the motel in the 'burbs and drove 30 miles back into the city to go to church. Neither Pastor Dad nor I had been in DC in oh, say, about 35 years so we had neglected to pay attention to the fact that just because one is armed with a street's name is not enough. One must also know its directional designation in relationship to the Capitol and The National Mall (NW, NE, SW, SE), We didn't know that then but we learned the hard way.

Asking for directions to a certain street will result in having the person tell you that there are 2 streets by that name and in order to help they will need more information. Sort of like me asking, "Bear, did you pack such-and-such . . ." and having two boys answer. Which boy are you asking? Or, for instance, to which D Street do you wish to go, madam? Hmm.

Thanks to being up and at 'em so bright and early we had plenty of time to repent of the error of our ways, get the proper address and directions, and go to church.

Later in the day we bought our passes and traveled around the city via the light rail system. We were scheduled to meet the Bears and their group at their dorm in the late afternoon but since we had plenty of time we made our way to Arlington National Cemetery. The place was packed and people were lined up everywhere waiting for tour buses. We decided to return another day.

We eventually made our way back to meet the group just in time to take the walking tour of the monuments with them. At several locations one of their teachers would give talks (they don't like to use the word "lectures") about the person being memorialized and some of the inscriptions found within. The students would then be led in a patriotic anthem, which would invariably lead to applause from passersby, before being dismissed for several minutes of assigned research and reflection before meeting back together and moving on to the next one.

(None of these people were in our group. But evidently the Lincoln Memorial is a popular location for group "talks.")

We made our way through all of the monuments. I was deeply moved by the whole experience, but especially so at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. I saw the traveling replica a few years ago and was touched by it then but not like I experienced this time. I thought at first it was because this was the war of my childhood and maybe that was the reason for my feelings. But I didn't personally know any of the people whose names are engraved on that wall because all the soldiers I knew came home, so why was I so overcome with emotion?

It was because I suddenly became aware of the vast funeral-like service going on around me. For all I know it could be like that every day of the year but for the first time that day I remembered that it was Father's Day. Many were there to visit the name of their father on that wall. It would take several posts for me to tell you of the stories I overheard as I passed through there, but I won't. Father's Day was also why Arlington National Cemetery was so crowded as dads who didn't come back from war were honored by their sons and daughters at places where they felt closest to their memories.

The events of the day - the church service, the monuments built to great Americans, the students singing Christian patriotic anthems, the families honoring the sacrifices of their loved ones, and the surging thankfulness in my heart for the privilege of being an American - all made my day blessed indeed.

God bless America!