Let Freedom Ring

...while everyone else is gathering at parades, catching candy that was at one time flying through the air, (or picking up smashed pieces of taffy off the asphalt, whatever suits you), and standing proudly with their hand over their heart as the flag passes by, I am sitting, isolated, at my parents home nursing a sick little lady back to health. My partner in crime is up in Idaho selling fireworks which leaves me alone, by myself, with my own thoughts to consume me...scary thought, I know.

If any of you know me, you know that I am a serious history buff. I have had a love affair with ancient Egypt since the 6th grade (if you remember right I majored in Archeology for a brief semester at USU and I also had a phase when I am pretty sure I wanted to be a little something like Laura Croft the Tomb Raider), I thrived in AP history writing essay after essay and studying "wars and rumors of wars", and ever since I was little I have felt an inherent need to travel anywhere and everywhere that has a story to tell me (which is pretty much anywhere AND everywhere...my list is very long), but one of my favorite historical indulgences is to hear personal accounts of any man, woman, or child that has given a little piece of themselves to history. The integrity and reality of these stories of personal struggle and strenth never fails to do my heart and soul serious good. The devotion and love I have for my country swells in my heart when I think of the great debt I owe to the many people throughout the ages, most of whom are perfect strangers to me, that have sacrificed life, love, and comfort for me to have the blessings I enjoy today.

So for today, as I sit and ponder the many blessings the Lord has given me, and the hands of the courageous people that have brought that work to pass, I just have to express my gratitude for this country, for the people who strive to keep our rights and privileges of a free country in tact daily, and for the honor of being an American woman.