Two hundred and thirty years ago my ancestors were caught in the middle of a critical battle that would reshape their world; and would leave a legacy of faith, hope and freedom that would course through the blood of their descendents for generations to come. That blood flows through my veins and beats within my heart, for I am a living heir to their legacy. I am a daughter of liberty and I have lived an amazing life because of all those remarkable men and women who forged this path of freedom for me. However, patriotism and an unwavering desire to preserve liberty did not come from my bloodline alone. I had to experience it firsthand.
My mother was a patriot. It was her example and her love for our country that first instilled those principles of liberty within me. But it wasn’t until I put that patriotism into practice that I truly understood and internalized just what freedom meant. Though there are many things that led me to where I am today there was one event in particular that would significantly influence the direction my life would take.
In June of 1985 I said “I do” to an officer in the United States Air Force. I have always loved my country, but being a military wife opens your eyes and your heart to a whole new understanding of freedom and the cost of preserving it. But even I didn’t completely understand that cost until September 11, 2001 when a group of terrorists flew a jet into the Pentagon where my husband was stationed. It was a harrowing day, but through the grace of God, my husband’s life was spared and he came home to me. But there is much more to the story.
Late in the evening of that tragic day, my husband, Derek, received a phone call from his commander. Derek came into our room to relay the news. “I’m going to work tomorrow,” he said, “all personnel have been ordered to report to duty.”
He looked at me and spoke with deep devotion in his voice, “This came straight from Secretary Rumsfeld,” he said. “We are sending a message to the world—America stands strong…We are still here!” I was so proud to be an American at that moment. America would stand, and she would stand strong.
The next morning my husband put on
his uniform, kissed me good-bye and reported for duty—in a burning
building. As I watched him pull out of
the driveway I was torn. The unthinkable
had happened and all I wanted to do was stay home, close to my family. The last thing I wanted was to say good-bye
to my husband. I was so proud but my
heart ached. Then, as he drove down the
street something caught my attention. On
the house next to ours I noticed the banner of freedom—our United States flag, hanging high,
blowing majestically in the morning breeze.
My heart leaped with pride, and then as I looked down the street, I saw,
to my utter amazement, house after house proudly displaying the Stars and
Stripes of our beloved Old Glory.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone. I felt the love and support of every American hanging those flags and I was infused with a new sense of hope. For a whole year our nation stood united. Flags hung from homes, businesses, cars and lapels. The spirit of America was strong and she was united. Partisan politics disappeared as we watched our elected leaders stand side by side on the steps of the United States capital singing God Bless America with tear filled eyes. There were no left and right; no Democrats and Republicans. Color wasn’t recognized. Race wasn’t an issue. Politics were set aside. It was just American standing with American from sea to shining sea and it was glorious. Then on September 11th 2002, President Bush announced the end of the year of mourning and almost overnight, the unity that we had enjoyed for a whole year ended just as abruptly as it had begun.
Just a year and a half later, with
the lead up to the 2004 election, our nation was ripped into a great divide and
all the brotherhood and patriotism we had shared for a whole year was
gone. It was heart wrenching. The people that stood united as Americans
just a few months before were now strongly divided. My heart broke and I felt such a deep loss.
As time has passed, our divisions have become deeper and more numerous. We have become a nation of divisions, not because we are dividing ourselves, but because we are standing by allowing others to divide us. It is like there is some invisible hand that is separating us by race, ethnicity, religion and income and an invisible voice telling us we can’t get along. We are no longer Americans united as one Nation, but fractured extensions of various groups that just happen to live in the same country. But why are we allowing this to happen? Why are we allowing ourselves to give in to the notion of a class system when our Founding Families sacrificed so much to stop that very thing? It isn’t that we are incapable of standing together united. We did it once before. Why does it have to take a national catastrophe to wake us up?
9-11 was a horrible
tragedy but
there was one good thing that came from it—it united us as Americans.
For a whole year we put our petty differences
and selfishness aside. For a whole year America wasn’t
the enemy, she was our friend. For a
whole year, Americans loved America
and no one dared speak out against her.
It wasn’t about what our country could do for us but what we could do
for our country and how we could help our fellow Americans. The spirit
of brotherhood was everywhere. People smiled more. We were more
patient at busy
intersections. God was called on daily,
churches were filled to capacity and stores couldn’t keep up with
consumer
demand for American flags and yellow ribbons.
That is what we lived with for a whole year. That is what I think America should be every day. That is what I miss. That is my America. And I want it back. I want to be “One Nation” once again united “Under God”. I don’t expect euphoria and I don’t expect everyone to agree on everything. Of course we will have differences. That’s what America is about- expressing our own opinions and being free to do so. But I think we should all be able to agree that there is one thing we should all agree on—we are all Americans. And we need to stand together in preserving those things that made our nation great. America is not the enemy. She is our home!