There are no coincidences

October 23, 2022

There are no coincidences

Taken August 16

When I shared my travel dream with my mom (see post) a few months ago, I mentioned seeing Mt. Rushmore along my journey. She said wait a minute and went looking around in her room and came out with a necklace with a Mt. Rushmore coin.

“Your dad loved to give me jewelry. To celebrate our 40th he got a Mt. Rushmore coin from his collection and had it mounted on a necklace for me.”

I thought that was very touching and forgot about.

Then on the 40th day of my journey, I went to Mt. Rushmore. There were not as many signs as I thought. Before getting into Keystone where it is located, there was a sign for two miles I think. Slowly I drove what seemed forever, they there was a break in the trees to see a huge bare rock very high above me, and its stark beauty stunned me and put me in awe. A half a minute later I saw Rushmore. My first thought was I wish Mom were with me in person to see it. That thought was driven home more when a man who snapped my pic for me said he and his wife and kids had driven from central Florida so his 83 old mom could realize her dream and see Mt. Rushmore.

When I called Mom to ask her to guess where I am, she said I have no idea (like a lot of other times in my life.)

“I finally made it to Mount Rushmore.”

She said, “Really today?

“Yes.”

“That is so funny. Linda (my cousin) took me out to lunch. I had on purple blouse with flowers and thought my Mt. Rushmore necklace would look good with it!”

That was no coincidence - that was totally a God thing and strengthened our renewed relationship.

Trooper profiles Washington also.

My second thought since I had seen the incarved lofty rock first was, “I wonder how the Native Americans feel about carving out faces on one of God’s natural beauties.”

There were some detractors of the project that was dedicated. In fact at the 50th anniversary celebration website https://time.com/4508007/mount-rushmore-anniversary-photos/ reported::

Putting that aside since the monument has already been carved, it is an amazing piece. Washington was done first and dedicated in 1930, Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1939.The designer of the project Gutzon Borglum, an eccentric man who loved to do massive art pieces, was hired to oversee the project. The final project was dedicated in 1941. Had died and his son continued his work. The work had to stop every year in the winter. After the end of winter in 1941, work though not complete ended since money was needed for the war effort.

Over four hundred men helped with blasting and carving to find the four presidents within. None of them perished even thought they climbed 700 steps to the top each day for which they earned eight dollars! The chief was honored with a plaque in the visitor center in 2017.

After 25 years of dedicated research, Lou (right) and his wife Camille Linen finally managed to get their grandfather and father Luigi recognized as chief carver of Mount Rushmore. Both attended the ceremony in South Dakota on Saturday, Sept. 16 where the plaque was unveiled at the monument’s visitor’s center. Courtesy of Lou Del Bianco