I’m feeling sad tonight. I guess now is my time of grief. I’m home alone, my girl’s at work for another hour and a half. I’m watching the telethon, not just because it’s on, but because it makes me feel good about who we are today.
It makes me feel good that so many people can unite for one cause, because Lord knows, we’ve not been united for a long, long time.
I’m grieving now for our nation’s greatest loss. We’ve had our freedom threatened. Our lives will never be the same, and I hope that the change is for the better. I hope that this unity and this patriotism will continue, not for the next week, not for the next few months, but until the end of time.
I am an American, and I’ve always been proud to be American. I’ve not worn my patriotism on my sleeve, but rather in my heart. I did not run to the store to put a flag on my car, or on my shirt. I looked around and saw that all walks of life were supporting this nation of ours. Today I dug out a flag that a friend of mine gave me years ago when I was in the Air Force. I haven’t displayed it in my window or on my door, but in my apartment, where it should have been since I moved here.
The flag is a symbol of our pride and our freedom, and I remember the first time I looked upon our flag with a never before sense of pride. I would like to share it…
On one particularly nice morning in basic training at Lackland AFB, our flight finished our run and our excercises. We ran to the drill pad where we spaced ourselves to begin our stretching. The morning was cooler than most had been that June. Eventually we got to the stretches where we had to lay down. It was then that I realized I was close to the flag pole. As I looked up at the beautiful blue morning sky, the American flag waved ever so gallantly and peacefully. It was at that very moment I knew what being an American was all about. I knew what it took to get us here and what it will take to keep us this way.
Over the years since, my patriotism has never dimmed, although my outward pride may not have shown as proudly. I have never been ashamed to call myself an American, and I will never be ashamed to call the United States of America my home.
Soon we will be engaged in a very long and tedious war. Many lives will be lost, but hopefully our spirit will not falter one bit. My life will probably be directly affected soon. Although I was discharged from the Air Force in May of 1998, my contract is good until February of 2003. I have no duties currently, but I am almost certain I will be called back into service. This was my greatest hope and biggest fear, but no more. It is only my hope that I may serve my country in its time of need.
I know this has become trite, but please, pray for our great nation, our people, our troops, our husbands, wives, children, brothers and sisters, for they are what make this nation so great.