A few weeks ago, Caleb and I were sitting in the breakfast area one morning and he motioned to the flag hanging outside the window. It was unfurling in the breeze and I felt my heart swell. I do love to see our national Flag waving in a breeze! Instinctively, I put my hand on my heart and said The Pledge of Allegiance. Caleb paid attention.
The next morning, he came along and put his hand on his heart and said "Fwag". So he and I did the Pledge of Allegiance together. We did it for several mornings running. John commented one morning, "I was surprised that you started teaching him that." I said, "Don't you think it's important that he know it? I don't know if they even teach it to children anymore, but I can remember standing before the flag at school each morning and I learned to respect and admire what our flag stood for. It meant something to me at that time and it means something to me still." John nodded. "I know it. It means something to me, too. I just didn't expect he could be taught that so young."
I haven't kept this practice up, but today, July 4th, I've made up my mind that I shall do so everyday from here on. It's important that he and I both pay our respects to the flag of our country. I want him to sense the patriotism I feel so strongly and perhaps find he has it embedded in his heart as well.
We hear a lot lately about how people feel threatened by the US Flag and how no one respects it ut someone did an interesting experiment. They had a laminated US Flag laid on the floor in the entryway of a classroom. NO ONE stepped on it. People stepped over the corner and entered the room that way. The students didn't step on it when they exited the room either. I thought it a much more reliable indicator that perhaps after all, the younger generation do still respect the flag and those adults who went to cry out because it's displayed are just a bunch of grumpy butts.
Patriotism was something special when I was growing up. It felt like a privilege to me to be able to stand before my flag and be proud of what it stood for. I listen to enough news these days to hear that people feel 'threatened' and uncomfortable if too many American flags are on display, but I think they are wrong. They fear that because they are different, the flag isn't there to represent them. That it's just for those who think only one way and vote one way and live their lives in one way. I wish they'd realize that the flag is there to represent them, too. That because of that flag they have the freedom to be the sort of different they are, to speak their piece and do so safely without fear. Even if someone else.
Last year a young woman in our church proudly stood up to declare that she'd become a citizen of the U.S. She went on to say that she found it completely incomprehensible why anyone would choose to disrespect the flag. She said, "It's such a privilege for me to be here, to be called a citizen and to be in a country that allows me the opportunity to be part of it. I will never forget how it felt to say the Pledge for the first time after I became a citizen."
On the first Sunday of July, our church, which is located in a town with a strong military presence, hosts Celebrate Freedom. Let me tell you when they begin to play the anthems of each branch of the armed services and those men and women, young and old, come forward to take their place with their fellow service men, there is seldom a dry eye in the house.
We had some newer visitors this past week sitting behind us, and I could hear their disapproval at first. Just earlier in conversation, one of them mentioned that my accent was the only one they would have declared Southern, that so many at church spoke differently than they'd expected someone from Georgia to speak. I reminded her then that it was a military town and people settled here from all over the states and had travelled the world. "I'm the odd bird here...You see I grew up here and have lived within 50 miles of this place my whole life long. "
Later during that service when the anthems began to play I heard an audible gasp from the seat behind mine and could feel disapproval at first...but as person after person stepped forward to join the line of men and women and the presence before the stage was filled from one side to the other, the full impact of how many of their churchgoing companions had served their country, I began to sense awe more than disapproval. I heard a whispered comment, "That was AWESOME!" Those who came forward were just the first service. I'd wager the second service attendees filled the space in front of the stage two or three times.
Young and old, man and woman, they'd all gone forth to serve their country and to represent it wherever in the world they were sent. And these were just the ones who had returned home...Others had died.
My family has a long military history. It's not every generation who has served. I didn't, nor my brothers. My father served in the Army. His father didn't serve but his father's father, registered for the draft in WWI. My family has served in nearly every conflict that has ever been fought on American soil and some have died in conflicts fought on foreign soils. From the War of Independence right through to the most recent conflicts, I have family or loved ones who have answered the call to serve and done so gladly, often with fear, but also with a bravery that overrode their fear and led them to give their body to the service of the country.
If the flag can make my heart flutter, you can imagine how much I admire red, white and blue bunting on homes. Or what a row of flags along a city street or cemetery avenue can do to me. Every star, representing a state or territory of this country. Every stripe representing men who were willing to declare independence and women who stood behind them as they did so. Sacrifice. Loss. Division. Coming together once more. That flag, those colors, represent so much more than just words can express.
Red, white, and blue is one of my favorite color combinations. I may not embrace it in my home interior or even in my wardrobe but it's just a feel-good palette in my opinion. So, you can imagine how pleased I was the other day when we were driving along to the mountain, and we passed a cute little white cottage with blue and white striped awnings over the windows. To finish off the palette a red rose was planted under each window. Made my heart sing!
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9 comments:
I think the flag has been co opted by a political faction that does not, in fact, respect our Constitution. It is a shame that people feel negatively about the sight of it, or feel that it doesn't represent them, but unfortunately we're massively divided in this country. However, in our public schools in NY, NJ and CT kids say the pledge of allegiance every morning starting in Kindergarten, so hopefully it won't be this way for the next generation!
Love, love this! My husband used to put our flag out every day and take it in every night.Now he is not able, but I try to do it when I remember. It does make a statement about what you believe. Tell John that if he thinks Caleb will forget, to just say a few naughty words in front of him and then listen to his conversation! LOL.
I would love to sit down with you and listen to your accent, and you can laugh at me and my northern speech. LOL. Last Thanksgiving we had a delightful young girl from England staying with us. So much fun to listen to her. Have a lovely day. Going to be hot here so have to send my AZ daughter, who thinks 100 is fine a text to complain about 80,
Love this! We, too, fly our flag every day.
Hi Terri, when I was in elementary school we would say the Pledge and the Lord’s Prayer every morning before class started. Not long ago Isaw a video on some things that were happening in Iran. In there largest university a huge American flag was painted on the courtyard of a major walking thoroughfare for the university. To walk on the flag with the sole of your foot was the greatest bad thing you could say about it. In this video it was amazing how all the students were walking on the edges but none of them would walk on it. That was no easy feat because the flag took up much of the courtyard. Jennifer from Ohio
Obscure, I think it probably is here in our schools in this rural county as well, but would need to check with the grandchildren. However, I do know that prayer still takes place at the schools and is celebrated on the school grounds each year...
Grammy, You would be perfectly welcome to come listen to my southern drawl. I say things that makes John smile a lot even after 30 years. He says I can't go to New York to meet his family because they will corrupt my Southern accent, lol. I have met his cousin Tom and he never laughed at me over my way of speaking.
Anne, I know even in my childhood it was a rarity to see a flag flying at a home. I've just always had one since we moved here and especially after 9/11, I've never been without one. I love this country and am proud to be an American.
Jennifer, that's a wonderful thing to share! Thank you!!
I love that Caleb wants to respect the flag with you each morning. When I taught preschool, we didn't teach the Pledge of Allegiance, but did honor the flag at the beginning of each class by singing an "age appropriate" song about it. We were told that the words of the pledge weren't in little's vocabulary, thus would have no meaning to them. I didn't necessarily agree, but didn't have a choice. My own children knew the Lord's Prayer by age 5, and we talked about the meaning of the words, so they knew what it meant. I feel we could have done that with the Pledge of Allegiance in preschool as well. That said, we did begin their knowledge of respecting the U.S. flag, so that's something.
I'm pretty sure my own political views vary widely from many of your other readers, but we ALL can respect our flag and work toward rebuilding unity in our country.
I'm quite fond of my Australian flag. I also admire one of the Finnish national songs that talks of Finland and then acknowledges other country's with skies as blue as theirs. "This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine." The tune it was composed with is called Finlandia and is sung the world over.
Jenny, I love a PATRIOT, period. That is a lovely song!
We have the privilege this summer to get to know, and interview, a gentleman who was a POW in Vietnam for over 6 years. My husband is working on a video documentary of his story. It's been such an honor to be reminded of the cost of freedom. My dad was an Vietnam vet (Air Force). My father-in-law is a dual branch veteran (Navy and Air Force). My brother served in the Army but not in war. We have several other family members back through the generations who served as well.
I'll be honest and say I have wavered in my patriotism over the years and I think Obscure put it succinctly about the flag being co-opted. That often causes folks a lot of confusion. I'm glad you've reminded us about the truth of it, Terri. I needed that little boost.
I am so grateful for our country and our freedom and so grateful for those who have served to give us that right.
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