“Notre Dame Cathedral is burning down.”
My heart sunk when I saw the message my husband sent me yesterday afternoon.
Paris has always had a magical place in my heart. I studied French all through high school, and I loved it so much I decided to minor in it through college.
Summer of 2005, I was able to travel abroad to study French, I convinced my parents to let my 18 year old brother (at the time) to travel with me so we could wander around the country together.
We flew in to Paris… it was the most incredible city I had ever laid eyes on. My heart was ablaze with all the history, the art, the people, the food, the music. The entire city swept me off my feet.
When we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, my brother and I were both completely blown away by the magnificence of the cathedral. It had so many stories to tell, we frankly stood speechless in awe of this massive building. If one looked closely you could see every minute detail, details that took over two centuries to complete. This work was so intricate, incomparable to structures today. Architecture has lost this beauty, they just aren’t built like this anymore. It was certainly a wonder to behold.
Walking through that city I felt so fulfilled, beauty surrounded me at every turn.
My heart, as well as millions of others are with France as this 200 year old structure fought against complete devastation. The brave firefighters finally extinguished the flames that threatened to take down this 13th century symbol of France which draws in around 13 million a year to marvel at this iconic structure. Thankfully efforts are already being made and funds being raised to fully renovate and revitalize this beautiful place of worship.
This certainly makes us appreciate the majestic pieces in life, and a reminder that regardless of how strong we think they are… they may not last forever.
Did any mamas travel to Notre Dame? Share your experiences in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.
“The world embraces Notre Dame right now.”
