Tess and I fulfilled a dream we've had since coming to America - to visit The Lady, or more popularly, the Statue of Liberty. As we expected we were not alone on this quest. More than 4 million people a year visit the Lady. The park was expecting at least 10,000 visitors that day. Information about the The Lady can easily be Googled but the most heartwarming to me is that this statue was a gift from the French people as a sign of friendship and admiration for America's ideals of freedom and democracy. On a plaque inside the pedestal is this quote:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
More than a century later, these ideals seem to be taking different meanings as many Americans feel their freedom is being threatened and that America is no longer as welcoming. Tess and I remain thankful for the freedom and opportunities that America has provided us and our families and visiting The Lady is our symbolic gesture of gratitude. Seeing all the different people that came that day, it was evident that we were not alone with our sentiments.
