We took our photos in front of both sides of the White House and walked down the Mall past the Washington Monument towards the Lincoln Memorial. My friend told me how excited she was to be in Washington on the day that the United States could elect its first female President. I questioned her as to why this was so significant since women had been elected to their nation's highest elected position in Europe and elsewhere. She said: "Because the United States is the most powerful country in the world and this would make a statement everywhere.”
As evening set in, we continued our walk past the WWII Memorial, by the Reflecting Pool, to the Lincoln Memorial. As we ascended the steps to Lincoln's statue, we stopped to look back down the Mall, past the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument to the Capitol dome. It was truly majestic. Indeed, it was powerful.
The Presidential election did not turn out the way many predicted it would. There is concern in some quarters and hope in others. Underneath it all, I can't stop believing that the fortitude and sublime beauty expressed by our nation's monuments will continue in our people going forward.
Lee Sherman, President & CEO