It is 12:45 am, I am awake and I am hot. So I'm talking hot for Anchorage hot. It's actually about 50 degrees F outside. But it's 74 degrees F in the house. I finally found a window that has a screen on it that I could open up and get some cool, fresh air in the house. I know, in another few minutes the hot flash will have dissipated and I will be chilly. But we did have sunshine this weekend. And for us, it was hot.
I hear pops outside. They must be fireworks but we're not supposed to have any within the municipality. I was hoping I would be able to see them from the downtown site. But no. And that's actually alright. I remember the fireworks we had in Beijing. What joy and fun! The scars, the thrills, the burns, the deaf ears,the sulfur smell, the earth trembling and shaking underfoot, errant fireworks that skidded this way and that, under buses, under cars, under foot, in the grass that accidentally caught on fire, the guards that would come out with their fire extinguishers. It was great. It is not the same here. But I am so grateful to be here.
I am grateful to be back in the States. I am grateful to be a citizen of this great nation. I recognize that we have faults but I want to recognize so much that is right. I am proud to be an American. I appreciate the many rights such citizenship offers me. I see the flag blowing in the breeze and am filled with joy as my eyes still tear up. To be able to see MY flag flying in the breeze fills my heart. I remember all the drills and practices we did in Girl Scouts on flag ceremonies, raising, lowering and folding the flag. I remember stopping on the BYU campus when the flag was raised in the morning and the national anthem played, hand over heart. I remember watching the flag be raised and lowered while on military bases when I was in uniform, hand raised in a salute. I remember training my cub scout dens to appreciate the flag, how to fold it, raise it and lower it properly. This wasn't easy because we had to do it inside the school classroom as we lived in China. One of us would act as a flag pole while standing on a table or chair... I remember going with the Fryers to the US Consulate in Vietnam to have their Webelos raise and lower the American flag in "American territory".
How much we take it for granted here. It is our country, our way of life. We do not always appreciate all the lives that have been lost and sacrificed so that we could enjoy this way of life. In Beijing, people did not respect flags, their country's flag or any country's flag. To them it was just a piece of material. They would put them on the ground and raise them, lower them to the ground and leave them on the dirt as they went to another flag and then gather them into a jumbled mass to fold later. There was no respect, no ceremony for the symbol of their country. We must have respect for ourselves, for our symbols of who we are, of those who gave their lives for us, those who are giving of themselves for our ideals and opportunities. This is a blessed land, a blessed country.
I don't think we realize how rich we really are in this great country. Rich in traditions, land, opportunities, abilities to have and raise families, rich in medical milestones and miracles, rich in good food and religious beliefs. So many of us have more than one car, more than one dish, more than one dress, more than one pair of jeans. We have milk and fruit in our refrigerators and probably some ice cream in the freezer. And Tums, Maalox or Pepto Bismo nearby. We have our own beds, our own tv, and blankets. We have shoes and pets, lawn mowers and weed trimmers, gardens and water we can drink from the faucet. Running water and toilets. Hot showers and water heaters. Temples. Church buildings. Books and libraries. Safety.
We are a richly blessed country and I am thankful to be a citizen of it. These are my wandering thoughts. I'll bet you've been wondering about many of the same things today as we enjoyed having a day off of work, to barbecue, play games, relax and read books, watch movies and enjoy being friends and family. I love you.
