I am wishing a SAFE and JOY-FILLED 4th Of July for each and everyone of you!
I also want to encourage everyone of you to the take time to re-read the Declaration of Independence and consider the progress of this “noble experiment” (Benjamin Franklin) called the United States of America.
In a society where the introduction of new technology is forever keeping us ‘connected’ to something or someone every waking moment of the day, and it continues to process even while we sleep,…it can be challenging to find a “free moment” at any point of the day to do anything that is not on a list of ‘necessity’! But ‘how easily we forget’ in the busyness of our lives, what it is that we really have. I HIGHLY encourage you to ‘find’ the time - to re-visit the events and acknowledge the sacrifices that have afforded us the FREEDOM we indulge ourselves in daily. Then pass that knowledge on to your grandchildren so they have an ACCURATE picture of our Country and what it took to have what they enjoy today.
My Son, Benjamin, is in the Military and will be getting deployed at the end of the year. The commitment the men and women in the Military make to maintain our freedom and our liberties is sealed with the willingness to perform the ‘ultimate sacrifice’. To ‘give all’ is something they believe whole-heartedly in.
Supporting our Troops isn’t the same as agreeing with the policies or the decisions if our government,..it is simply a show of gratitude for those willing to lay their lives on the line when called upon to do so. They don’t flinch, they don’t whine, they don’t take the time to “weigh out’ whether or not YOU, I, or anyone else is worth dying for. They simply uphold an oath to protect and serve their Country, and ALL AMERICANS fall under that oath.
June 24th of last year our city welcomed home from the longest overseas tour to date for any Nebraska Guard unit. Members of the 1-167th Cavalry and 134th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance). We left home early and planted ourselves on the Bus route. Thousands of others joined us, and it brought tears to my eyes to see the SUPPORT.
Hannah and Abby made signs that said WELCOME HOME and THANK YOU. We had our American Flags in our hands,..waiting for the flashing lights of the police escort to appear in the distance. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the buses made their way through the city. A procession of more than 400 motorcycles, the Patriot Guard Riders, stretching for dozens of blocks escorted the buses. The soldiers were greeted by rows of U.S. flags and yellow ribbons and thousands of people cheering them home!
It was beyond “MOVING”,…it was INSPIRING! My heart welled with my love for this country I live in and the Freedoms I enjoy,…I never want to forget THE COST for that freedom. To me,…that is what the 4th of July is all about.
It is up to us Grandparents to make sure that our Grandchildren UNDERSTAND the sacrifices made for the FREEDOM they enjoy. To not allow them to be ignorant or apathetic about what it takes to maintain that FREEDOM.
My prayer today is: GOD PROTECT THOSE THAT MAKE A WILLING SACRIFICE TO PROTECT FREEDOM.
