Lady Liberty Has a Little Sister

Dear Reader:

Lady Liberty has stood alone at the entrance of New York Harbor for 134 years since arriving from France as a gift of friendship between our two countries.

No doubt there have been some pretty lonely days for her, especially with COVID-in fact she is still closed to the public except from a distance on the circling ferries. But she is unshakable… holding the torch of Hope to immigrants seeking the American Dream …with confidence and majesty!

Only now… for a few days she’s got company! This past Wednesday a second smaller statue arrived on our shores… another gift from France. This gift symbolizes our enduring friendship between our countries.

French ambassador, Philippe Etienne, declared” It is more important than ever to underline how our democracies need to work together, with our common values, especially freedom, but also equal opportunities for all our citizens.”

The statue, re-created from the first one, was wrapped and boarded a freighter bound to America… retracing the original route followed in 1885

As the statue passed Liberty Island the NYC Fire Department greeted it with a water cannon salute!

The ” Little Sister” is only 9 feet tall- 1/16th the height of Lady Liberty- an exact replica of the original. Lady Liberty will have a little sister in close proximity for only the Fourth of July celebration

Then it leaves for Washington DC where the statue will be installed at the French Ambassador’s residence just in time for Bastille Day!

So until tomorrow let us never forget what Lady Liberty means to us and the world-Hope! May we never fail her by our own actions! Cheers to Lady Liberty-never tears!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

I have never forgotten seeing the Statue of Liberty as a child and I am so happy Rutledge got to see her from the ferry Saturday-and even not being able to get closer-look how excited he is!

I hope everyone had a wonderful fourth-I had a quiet one but a day that afforded me time to make my gratitude list for having won the greatest lottery in the world-being born in the USA!!!!! Let Freedom Ring!

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”

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