I am reminiscent my past, leading to
this present moment, and my future freedoms on this Independence Day.
As I reflect on my Facebook’s Throw Back Thursday photo of me with my classmates in Miss Hammer’s 3rd Grade Class, saying the “Pledge of Allegiance” as we stood up from our desk, placed our hands over our hearts and faced the American Flag and recited the words every school day morning:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States
of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." (1954)
I did not understand the above words as a child. The words
give meaning to my life today.
I give gratitude to my Uncle Roger and my Aunt Judy for Fourth
of July evening, leading into my senior year of high school. My uncle had is
station wagon filled with my mother, sister, brother, their two children, who
are my cousins: Greg and Amy, and me with a full length plaster cast on my
right leg. My Uncle parked his car in the parking lot in front of the
Northcrest Bowling alley and to the side of the Burger Chef. We watched the
fireworks light up the humid Indiana, night skies.
A couple of years ago, I offered an Independence Day service for
my residents, who have dementia and health concerns. They were not mobile and
seated in wheelchairs or used walkers. My residents served our country. When
the pianist began playing the “Star Spangled Banner” as the opening music, the
residents, who were cognitively and physically challenged stood up, placed
their right hands over their hearts and sang without printed words. All of the
words were from long-term memory.
The words with the lyrics did not come out of my mouth; instead,
tears flowed down my cheeks as I looked around the room. When the song
concluded, one resident’s very young great grandson, who held onto his
grandpa's walker yelled, “Play ball!”
The last song in the service was “This Land is Your Land.”
Unannounced to me, one resident, who had been a professional musician, had his
trumpet handed to him by his son and “Taps” filled the room.
I encourage you to reflect upon today by reading and sitting
with the the second statement from the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
We are blessed by learning from our past and living in the
present and looking towards the future.
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