Monday, July 4, 2011

America

     I wanted to title this America the Beautiful, but she is not so beautiful these days, either physically or politically.  Flooding and fire storms are marring her surface, forcing evacuations.  The political landscape has become a quagmire of self-interest and hate-mongering, both home and abroad.  I had become very critical of her.
     Then I read a post by a nationalized friend:  "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT I AM TODAY, BECAUSE OF YOU. AM HUMBLY GRATEFUL...." 
      It made me think of the time my grandfather - ill with cancer, dying - was taken in by a gang of phony meter readers.  He was robbed.  Two things bothered him tremendously; one that he was too weak to protect his wife, and the other the theft of some papers.
      My mother was exasperated with his need to replace those papers.  She said, "What does it matter, he is dying."  I would have thought as a first generation American she would understand.  I certainly did.
      The papers?   His citizenship papers!  And I am delighted to say he received the new copies before he passed on.  Let me assure you Grospapa was fully aware of America's faults, but he he also knew that it was the best place on earth to live.  And despite the recent curtailings of some of our freedoms, make no mistake, it is still the freest country.
      We may have to work harder for a while to restore the parts that are broken, but Thank you Minnie and Papa for reminding me, that America is still The Beautiful.