Walking the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, I yearned for the assurance that we will move forward as a nation toward peace.

The wars throughout America’s history have shaped the thoughts and aspirations of generations, and touched the lives of millions around the world.

The monuments in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., often memorialize or reflect upon war.  Their words and images ran through my mind as we walked the rolling hills of the cemetery.

While Arlington National Cemetery also contains the graves of notable American heroes or other people of influential significance, unrelated to any military conflict, I could only think of the sorrow that war brings as I surveyed row after row of white marble markers.

The old trees cradled some markers in their gnarled roots, while their broad canopies kept watch over others.  Each marker had a story to tell — a life cut short, a life of love, a life of loss.

Some markers were left without names, a particularly poignant reminder of the stories some never lived to tell.

When promising lives are cut short, so often you hear, “let them not die in vain.”  Tragic circumstances often compel people to come together and move forward in a concerted effort to create a better tomorrow.

Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. looked forward with hope during the darkest of days, so must we.  As we reflect upon our history, we carry hope forward, seeking wisdom from the often costly mistakes and tragic experiences of our past.

Ciao! ~ Kat

This post was in response to the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge.  ”Forward” was this week’s theme.  Everyone is welcome to join in the Challenge; further details on how to participate and links to others’ responses are found here.