I have always loved visiting The Waving Girl in Savannah, Georgia. I’ve spent a lot of time down there, especially over the last few years and I always have the urge to go to visit her statue. It started when I was younger and I was first on River Street with my family and heard about her. From then on, she stayed in a special place in my heart for reasons unknown to me.
On River Street, the above statue stands as a testament to The Waving Girl. She was a woman named Miss Florence Martus who, by waving her handkerchief in greeting to the passing ships, grew a beautiful legend by her simple act of connection and kindness.
Here you can read all about her!
Have you ever been to Savannah? There is so much to do there! It’s an amazing city full of Southern charm, ghosts, good food, shops, antiques, history and of course, my favorite, The Waving Girl.
What entices me about her? I guess it’s the simplicity in which she changed the world around her. Above you can read how many ships she greeted in her lifetime and what her simple act did for the crews on the passing ships. They looked for her greeting and looked forward to seeing her waving her handkerchief to them as they passed by. To me, it’s like smiling at strangers in the grocery store or on the street. You hope that by that simple act, you connect with someone else for a moment in a good way.
Imagine our world if we were all to greet each other with kindness, with a smile or a friendly wave, asking nothing in return except for a similar greeting! Oh my, I can feel the world now smile with joy for the love that would surround Mother Earth! Can’t you?
Here’s Miss Florence Martus waving to you!
Won’t you please greet the next person you see with a smile?
Shine On!
xo
**Photo of Miss Florence Martus, 1931. Photographer Unknown. Courtesy of Bull Street Library, Georgia Live Oak Libraries.
** Photo “Waving Girl” Statue on River Street, 2016. Courtesy of Alison Lechner from the Georgia History website.
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