God Bless America

Happy Independence Day everyone. This year our Independence Day overlaps with a family reunion, so the day hasn't gotten quite the individual attention that it usually does for us, but we still managed to take some time and reflect on why we celebrate this magnificent day in our country's history.

My children constantly ask me to tell them stories. Quite a while ago the old fairy tales got boring and my brain ran out of anything imaginative, so I started to tell them about history. Those are now their favorite kind of stories to hear. Every year I retell them all I know about the founding of our country, which isn't as much as it should be, but it's enough to let them know how grateful we should be to live in this free land.

Through my telling of these stories, I remind myself of all those who created this one nation, under God. I imagine our founding fathers look down on us all and weep over what we have done with the great gift of a democratic government they gave us. It is crumbling beneath our feet. Our life, liberty and pursuits of happiness have led us to greed and corruption. Granted, there are a few honest politicians who work to truly serve the people, but they are few and far between. The reason for all this is simple: we are forgetting God, who is the true founder of our nation. Whatever form God may take for people--a Higher Power, a Mother Nature, an Allah, a Buddha--He is being replaced by the cry of selfishness and immorality.

Those prosperous years that followed September 11th were caused by an upswing in the economy, yes, but mostly by a return of the people to faith, to love, and to unity. That feeling has fallen away already. How quick we are to forget.

But I am still grateful to live in this free land and I will strive to keep my loved ones close, no matter how the world around me crumbles away. I know that as we strive to love and serve one another, we will make it through whatever lies before us and emerge a better, happier people for it. As long as we remember the one who is greater than us all.

God Bless America!