July 4th

It is said that the face of the Statue of Liberty in New York, was modeled after it's creator Bartholdi's mother. It may well be that Bartholdi wanted to give some expression to the gratitude he felt towards his mother for having raised him through the thick and thin of difficulties. For a child, the most beautiful and noble face in the world is perhaps none other than that of their own mother. You might agree with me that the desire to live up to a mother's expectation is an inborn desire, deeply wired into our beings.

- Daisaku Ikeda

Japanese text:

ニューヨークの「自由の女神」の顔は、作者バトルディのお母さんがモデルであるといわれている。苦労して自分を育ててくれた母 ― 彼は感謝の思いを、形にしたかったのかもしれない。また、子どもにとって、母の顔はいちばん美しく、尊いものなのかもしれない。母の恩に応えたい ― そうした思いを、本来、誰しも、生命の奥底にもっている

(Josei ni okuru kotoba 365 nichi, pg. 203)