It meant so much to me because someone does walk past the monument every day, because someone possesses a deep-rooted connection to structure as a symbol of their God, and because someone awes at the cathedral as an image of beloved Gothic architecture.

I’m not here to say what is or isn’t appropriate, but instead to take a step back and look at the entirety of a person’s life, and not just the parts that fit your initial feelings.

We all have our own personal souvenirs—mine include a metal spaceship from a fourth-grade trip to the Smithsonian, a rock from the top of Mount Washington and a glittery Girl Scouts picture frame.