Somewhere back in High School, I had a great US History teacher that brought the constitution alive for me. I remember doing a mock congress in the gym and having to come prepared to vote on the current issues. Another time he rein-acted the stock market crash, and even though we knew what was going to happen, everyone tried to make as much money as possible before the rug got pulled out from under us. I developed a great respect for our country and our founding fathers, but I suppose the love I have for our country came from somewhere deeper inside me. Maybe it was my parents. Maybe it was from reading the Book of Mormon about this "choice land." Maybe it was so subtle that I never realized that this love was developed, because it has felt to me like I always had it. Sometimes I can't sing our National Anthem or America the Beautiful, not because the notes are too high for me, but because I get chocked up. Once I took a trip back east with my adult siblings. We visited Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore to Fort McHenry. They showed a stirring movie about the war that was fought there and the circumstances around Francis Scott Key penning the poem while he was a captured prisoner of war on a ship out in the harbor. The curtains in the theater room were supposed to open to reveal a huge American flag while the Star Spangled Banner played, but there was a malfunction and they wouldn't open. Everyone sat in the dark room and listened to the music. No one stood up. After all, it was dark. I left the room feeling guilty. Do I only stand in respect when others can see me? It bothered me that I had waited to see what others would do, and I vowed to myself that I would be the first to stand when the music was played, no matter what others thought or did. I love my country, and have a profound respect for the intent of our forefathers.
The Boy Scouts in our city do a fund raiser each year where they put up American flags in front of each house on National Holidays. Each household contributes what they can for this service. Many a morning at 7am Connor and Gabe have joined the troop and return at 5:30pm to take them down. It fills my heart to look down the streets and see hundreds of flags throughout Highland, UT.
This year we splurged and bought tickets for Stadium of Fire at BYU where we were entertained by young dancing girls, hundreds of Boy Scouts (100 yr anniversary), Jenny Oaks baker on the violin, the 5 Browns on 5 grand pianos, andCary Underwood. Then the biggest fireworks show I have ever seen. We got an added treat with Grandma Barnes for the whole week and Sydney Barnes for the weekend.
We started our patriotic party the weekend before with a BBQ, croquet and fun with Grandma and Luke
No comments:
Post a Comment