My husband and I took a week-long trip to Washington, DC, in early July. It felt so surreal to visit The White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It is incredible how much history each place has.  Visiting the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial was the most impactful part of the trip though. Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of my favorite presidents. It isn’t just because of his disability. I admire his perspective on life and its challenges.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial is a sequence of four outdoor rooms. The four signifies his four terms in office.  The path begins at his first presidential campaign during the Great Depression. It continues to what he did during those struggle times. A waterfall is in the center. The waterfall shoots out various lengths of water to symbolize the complexity of catastrophic changes. The ending part shows his dealings with World II and the proclamation of the New Deal. I love how physically impaired individuals can go through the memorial easily. The designers even included a stone wall with tactile reliefs of braille writing for the blind.

The most moving part was seeing one of the powerful parts of Roosevelt’s first Inaugural Address engraved in stone, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I thought about how relatable it was.  I am at a point in my life where I am frustrated about my career path. I let fear and doubt take over my passion for writing. I have second-guessed my work so much that I’ve become anxious about not being creative enough

I have gained confidence back ever since that day. Roosevelt was right. Nothing is more terrifying than fear itself. It takes anyone down like a disease. Only hope and determination can get rid of it. I have taken back my life and enjoy what I love to do. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know one thing. Fear won’t be the main character of my story.