On Sunday, we returned after church for photos of her in her new graduation dress on a gorgeously sunny day.
While explaining how I wanted to stage the photos with the colorful hydrangeas as the backdrop, someone caught me in action.
Sadly, the Lafayette Stepping Stone doesn’t appear in any of the photos.
At least the flowers are gorgeous!
She’s worked hard and is pressing on.
Leaning on the Lord, and with a kind heart of service as Lafayette had, standing on his famed Stepping Stone is a metaphor for stepping up into the world.
LAFAYETTE’S GRAND TOUR
For 13 months from 1824 and 1825, Lafayette visited each of the states in America upon invitation from President Monroe, to prepare the country for its 50th anniversary.
With great fanfare and celebrations Lafayette was greeted by America with exuberance.
In August of 1825 Lafayette arrived by coach in Warrenton, where rumor has it, he stepped on this stone to leave his coach, now marked by a historical marker.
Walking near here often, we only learned of it when my son was chatting with gal in Awana club who was a history buff, and learned we go to Colonial Williamsburg a lot in costume.
In the autumn, the stepping stone is surrounded by chrysanthemums, and in the spring, by hydrangeas.
Interestingly, Warrenton is named for Dr. Joseph Warren, Boston’s firebrand who died during the Battle of Bunker Hill.
In 1825 when Lafayette visited Bunker Hill, he collected some of the soil to take home, to be placed upon his grave when that day came.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT RODE HORSEBACK INTO WARRENTON
Less than 100 years later President Roosevelt proved himself a horseman to arrive in Warrenton from the White House, and return in 24 hours by horseback…through a snow storm.
The Lafayette and Roosevelt stories can be found nearby at the old gaol (jail).
Since I’m such a Lafayette fan, I was scooted onto the stone as the teacher of the graduate for a photo.
