Gratitude: So Many Worlds in a Day

Yesterday afternoon Matt, Annabelle and I drove into D.C. to attend a children’s Thanksgiving event at the National Museum of the American Indian. On the way there, Annabelle fell asleep in the car, so Matt asked me if I wanted to stop and take pictures. Of course, I accepted and gladly suggested Georgetown. He dropped me off behind M Street where I wandered around Montrose Park and a nearby cemetery where I snapped lots and lots of photos. Above is what I saw.

Once Annabelle woke up we played in the Montrose park for a bit before loading back up into the car and heading towards the Museum of the American Indian. While searching for parking, an officer stopped us at a light where we were made to wait for about 20 minutes. We saw

leaders from China and Germany passing through on their way to the Whitehouse where President Bush hosted the G20 Summit to discuss regulating the global economy and world trade. After the officer waved us through though, we sat in traffic again because

protesters rallied against California’s Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage. The group was full of energy with lots of rainbow umbrellas and flags, awesome and intelligent signs (I particularly enjoyed one sign that said, “Let’s Vote on Your Marriage”), and an enthusiastic and steadfast crowd who endured brief but heavy down pours.

Phew! What a day downtown. After our busy day in the city, we’re leaning towards a low key children’s event with ample parking and no risk of protests and world summits. That said, I felt grateful that my daughter not only took in a beautiful day in the park but also saw motorcades for world leaders, as well as a rally that supports civil rights. Not too shabby for a trip downtown.