My country ‘tis of thee
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing.
And I will sing: I’ll sing the praises of this great country; I’ll sing songs of thanksgiving for those who have sacrificed everything for freedom; I’ll sing prayers for those who govern and protect it; I’ll sing whispers of hope for each of us who love and believe in this sweet land of liberty.
How I love this day! It’s my favorite holiday of the year— in some ways better than every other holiday rolled together. It’s more than the Fourth of July—it’s Independence Day. INDEPENDENCE. It means freedom, choice, individuality—aren’t those the most important things in the whole world? Aren’t they worth fighting for? Aren’t they worth celebrating?
There are only a few things that will bring tears to my eyes—I guess you could call them the “three Cs”: my children, my Consultants, and my country. I care about each of these three so very much; in them are my dreams, my responsibility, and my greatest hopes. I pray for each of them nightly, and celebrate them in different seasons: birthdays for my children, Conventions and events for Consultants, and Independence Day for America. With each passing year, I become increasingly aware of my blessings as a United States citizen, and I love to focus my energies of the day on my gratitude.
At the Lynton family, we start the day early by heading to the route of the parade, one of the largest of its kind in the country. We wave our flags and salute our military veterans, wave at marching bands, and by the end, we’re all grinning and humming the national anthem. How I love to put my hand over my heart! During the anthem, I find I stand a little taller and sing a little louder; I can’t help myself!
The afternoon is family time, and what could be more priceless than that? As the day cools, we gather for a barbecue and conversation. The kids play games in the yard until dusk, when we always enjoy the fireworks together. By the time the last bomb has burst in mid-air, my eyes have welled with tears. I’m so grateful for this country and the promise it holds. I pledge more than my allegiance—I pledge my heart.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
My Country, My Heart
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ReplyDeleteAmen to that Jeanette. Could not have been spoken any better than that. Have a wonderful day with you family.
ReplyDeleteI agree whole heartedly, I pray we will always have the freedoms we enjoy and sometimes take for granted. There is nothing like a parade to bring tears to my eyes. God Bless America.
ReplyDeleteMy first visit here, wow! what a wonderful way to sum up what the 4th of July is about! Thanks for the great upper today!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. The 4th is also my favorite holiday. We are so proud of our son who serves in the US Army and all of our military members. We are very lucky to live in the land of the free and to be the parents of one of the brave.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Tami
We live in an amazing place! I rather miss marching IN the marching band for all those long years of my youth...those wool uniforms in July always made us swelter AND remember the sacrifices our men & women in uniform make daily. God Bless the U.S.A.!!
ReplyDeleteCould not have said it any better!~
ReplyDeleteJeanette, I loved your post! The 4th of July has been my favorite day of the year for many years, but with the loss of my dad 2 years ago I find it to be the hardest day. This was the day that was our father/daughter day and I have to say that it's just not the same. I hope to start some new traditions next year as I have told my mom this was the last year for our tradition. I just can't do it anymore without dad. I know I am not the only one who feels this way so we will see what next year brings. thanks for the post as your day reminds me so much of my dad.
ReplyDeleteyour post brought tears to my eyes. yes, we are truly blessed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to celebrate the beautiful country we call home. I wish our town had a parade. However they do have a very nice 4th celebration. Enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first visit to your blog, and I just happened to be reading through back posts, 'cause I was enjoying seeing the pictures of all the beautiful cards, and scrapbook pages... The post brought tears to my eyes and made me want to run over and hug my fiance, who is a Soldier. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteChristine