Proud To Be An American

I am the product of sentiment. I don't think I ever stood a chance. Tears rise and fall in situations that are as varied as witnessing my child in a sports contest, finding the answer at the conclusion of a long novel, or holding in my hands the actual marriage bond signed by an ancestor from 1814. I still fight tears even as my hands roll the drums whenever I hear the song made famous by  Lee Greenwood years ago.

I come from good stock,or at least that's what I tell my daughter in pride when something funny happens that reminds one of us of one of the mannerisms that is so like one of her grandparents. Today is the ultimate day to honor those brave souls who went through all manners of conflict and success as they chose this country over all sorts of sacrifice.

So today, ancestors of mine, know that you are not forgotten.

- those who fled persecution in far lands because of your religious beliefs
- those  who continued to face some of the same religious persecution once arriving
- the immigrants who arrived with no understanding of the language but refused to be deterred
- the brave souls who fought in every manner of conflict these lands have encountered since the beginning
- the women who ran the households, raised the children, worked the farms, or assumed the jobs of their husbands when they were lost to war, disease, or scandal



Independence Day is the reward for all these sacrifices.

Liberty Bell & Independence Hall copyright Kim Eisman

 "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof" Leviticus 25:10
(inscription on the Liberty Bell)