Vietnam Memorial

I didn't expect the Vietnam Memorial to have such a profound effect on me as we descended into the ground.  As we stood beside the looming black wall I was hyper aware of the sheer number of names - row after row after row. A pressure lay upon my chest, heavy, like a thousandpounds of dirt.  It must have been my heart aching.  I have never been so acutely aware of how the architecture of a memorial could create an emotional response.  As you walked down following the path, and the wall grew, it pulled you in and blocked out the world. Quiet reverence surrounded me, and I struggled to carry the weight of the loss that war caused.  I was relieved to walk up and out of the memorial. The pressure eased upon my chest. I thanked the soldiers everywhere and from across the years for their service in keeping my freedom. And I thanked the architect for helping me grasp a reality that is almost too difficult to comprehend.