Independence Day 2008 I found myself standing in what most people would consider the middle of nowhere. There were no cell phone signals, no Internet access, no cable TV, not even any running water. But, for me on this day, it was the middle of everywhere. The kids were playing, this fish were biting, the ATV’s and motorcycles were screaming, and the grill was turning out hamburgers and hotdogs. I was on what some people might call a ranch or farm except there were no cattle or crops. There was just family and good times. It was the kind of day that you might have read about in a story book when you were a kid. The day ended with the kids cooking marshmallows over an open fire and singing songs outside in the warm Texas evening. One of the songs we sang was the Star-Bangled Banner. In the few minutes that followed, I thought how fortunate I am to be sitting here in this moment. A magic moment. A moment that will last for a lifetime. I thought about how thankful I was that there have been countless people over the generations who have fought for our freedoms who gave me the gift of this day. To give me this moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We paused for a minute to think about the one family member who was missing. The one who is training for his first tour in Iraq. While we all enjoy our family and friends this day let’s all remember to say thank you to the the military service members and their families who truly make sacrifices everyday so you and I can have magic moments in our lives and have the freedoms and liberties that most of us take for granted.
Lee greenwood says it best:
I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died
who gave that right to me.”
