Visiting a piece of history always feels significant. We're all gracing
this earth with our individual life's story. Who would have ever
thought that 297 years after the Alamo was built that a little boy named
Noah and his family would step through the Shrine's front door. While
our visit placed no significance and possessed no value to the Alamo itself,
our visit contributed to our life's story. Something we never thought
we'd do, or see, or experience as a family with a severely disabled child. Even though we visited the
Alamo in the evening hours the heat offered us little to no relief. The
sun followed us through the courtyards as we took temporary shelter
from the branches of majestic trees. Canons, and historic relics
sprinkled about telling the story of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo.
I
admired the feeling of strength of the Alamo possessed and those who
fought for 13 long days, never giving up. Just like Noah fought for
those long 13 minutes to live. Never giving in and willing to fight to
the bitter end. To a large extent I recognize that fighting drive.
Pressing on at all costs. Defending, pursuing, and fighting with all
that you have - even in the end knowing that a favorable outcome is
likely against you. The courtyards were peaceful with vibrant shades of
green. Cactus plants so large it felt like it's own defensive
wall.
Noah was very much interested in the walls that lined the
courtyard that told the story of the Alamo. Although Noah does not yet
know how to read, (or at least I'm assuming he doesn't even though we do
read to him frequently). He wanted to just spend time in front of
them. Watching, looking and absorbing it. Sometimes people give Noah
little credit for the the strong comprehension abilities that he does
have. I could tell that he was having his own personal experience with
the Alamo. His eyes were alert, his body temporarily calm from his
continual spastic movements. He was learning, engaged and interested.
The
Shrine itself looks very small when you view it from the street, but
once you enter it's much higher than you'd expect. A bit of a
cathedral-like feel mixed with a hint of historic castle. Of course
there were
signs that said you couldn't touch the walls, but I could visually
tell they were rough but firm despite age. Some corners of the ceiling
looked like they were suffering from the beginnings of water seepage,
but presently didn't seem to be effecting the integrity of the Shrine.
While the ceilings were high the Shrine itself didn't have an abundance
of square footage.
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| Luke & Mommy |
Although air conditioned now, it was still
incredibly hot. I visualized a stone on the ground to memorialize the
finding of 4 bodies in 1937 and joking to myself that they must have
passed from the Texas heat. There were no pictures permitted within the
Shrine. So it is really one of those places you must see for
yourself. You do have a sense that a very honorable and majestic place
to visit. Noah let out an incredibly big sigh inside the Shrine.
Almost as if displaying relief or conveying a profound understanding
about where he was and what he was experiencing.
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| Thank Goodness for Texas Water |
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Noah & His Daddy at the Alamo
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There are some
really beautiful statutes that line the street near the Alamo. I have a
thing for Angels and really liked the Angel memorial. There are shops
just across from the Alamo. You'd assume that the Alamo would be out in
the middle of nowhere, but it's really almost in the center of
everything. Across the street there was a Ripley's Believe it or Not
Museum of sorts and haunted house. That was certainly interesting and
filled with some odd things you just don't see everyday. It was fun to
walk in and out of street shops and it also helped relieve some of the
heat to keep it manageable. All very worthwhile to see if you are
traveling down to San Antonio to Morgan's Wonderland.
We
concluded our first day in San Antonio trying to unsuccessfully hunt
down a Chick-Fil-A for Noah and settling on hotel food, refreshing
showers, and tucked ourselves in nicely to get ready for our exciting
day ahead at Morgan's Wonderland.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover. Mark Twain
Love,
Noah's Miracle by
Stacy Warden is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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