In the past few weeks I have had so much time to reflect on what the word patriotism means to me. In the dictionary it is defined as "love of and/or devotion to one's country." On the surface I would agree but I have found that the love is much deeper than simply saluting the flag, singing the national anthem before a sports event or reciting the pledge of allegiance usually only during Flag Day ceremonies once a year. I have found that for me it is being grateful for the country that I live in, and taking care of it because it is the only one we have. It is being proud of and thankful to all those who have, are, or will ever sacrifice to keep this land one of liberty. Since Pete has been in basic I find myself getting teary-eyed whenever I see anyone in uniform, and my ears perk up if I hear someone discuss the war. I used to not even care because it was day in and day out that it is on the news.
And then my husband became part of it, I became part of it.
Those people giving their lives are someone's husband/wife, father/mother, son/daughter, or sister/brother. And they are doing this because they choose to. There is no draft, or law that requires them to be in the line of fire. True, many of them may have signed up purely for financial reasons but I believe there comes a time that they embrace the role of soldier, and protector and continue because it is about the men next to them. It's not easy to have them away, and it's frustrating to not know if they are safe but I do know now more than ever that God keeps his promises and He knows the ultimate plan and that is all I need to know.
This past week I was able to visit Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It brought history to life and gave it a whole new meaning. The guide repeatedly said that if it wasn't for those men, the founding fathers, than we may still belong to another country, or we may not be able worship how we would like to, and there would be no "American Dream." The guide was right, we owe it to those men to get to know them and read about their lives so we can keep this country guided on the path and values that they worked so diligently to establish.
America will always be ONE NATION UNDER GOD!
What are your thoughts? Have you had any experiences that caused you to be more patriotic?
2 comments:
I was like you were saying you were before pete joined. Then, I met and married Nick, who is in the army. And most of his family is/was in the military. And again, I am like you now. Isn't it weird how fast it changes your views and how you can get so emotional over things like seeing a soldier in uniform, or hearing the national anthem?! I am thankful for those who willingly join the army and sacrifice for us.
i remember feeling a tremendous sense of pride on election day and the inauguration, even though my guy didn't win. it made everything feel worth it. to have a sense of pride for what our country stands for and fights for. it feels like on days like that all of the disagreements and nonsense can be forgotten and we can just be one nation. love those days.
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