I recently returned from visiting my son, Rob, in Washington, D. C. While this was primarily my Mother's Day treat to myself to visit my one and only child, I was also excited by the possibilities that the long weekend held. I had not visited our nation's capital in nearly 30 years. So much history, so little time!
What really touched me, though, caught me by surprise. While touring the American History museum, I wandered into the Star Spangled Banner exhibit. There it was - the REAL flag that inspired Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. Tattered and torn in places, it was still remarkably well preserved - and HUGE!
As I read the story behind our national anthem and the accounts of those who had so lovingly preserved this flag over the years, I felt my throat tighten. Wow, I thought. This is what patriotism is really all about. This is why we are so blessed with all the opportunities we have today - opportunities that so often we take for granted,
My time in DC was up all too soon - but as I flew home to wonderful Orange Beach, Alabama (which we fondly refer to as Paradise on the Alabama Gulf Coast) I reflected on what a magnificent country we live in. We have the freedom to engage in a profession that we can control - in a country that offers us so much - craggy mountains, sophisticated cities, shining lakes, sandy beaches. Despite our current struggles, this land is still ripe with opportunity.
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