My Daily Grateful - Freedom

picture by Nancy Burton
I am fiercely patriotic. I love our country and democracy. Silly things stoke my patriotism. Like, how our youth gather at midnight movies, such a display of passion and security. Black Friday. Even though I never participate, I love that it epitomizes our free trade economy. Big things flare my loyalty. September 11th. Well, there’s nothing bigger than that.

I have America The Beautiful and The Star Spangled Banner on my ipod. We fly the flag every day of the year (weather permitting). Tears well every time I see that commercial where the soldier receives a recorded book from his child.
I may not always support my President’s policies, I may not always agree with a military action or a political movement of the people or a decision of the Supreme Court. But I always respect the individual persons behind all of it, because they are my fellow Americans who live free alongside me and who are equally responsible for the stewardship of this great country.

My husband gave me a diamond ring when we were married. I didn’t pay for it. I didn’t work for it. I didn’t earn it. But that doesn’t mean I will neglect its care. I didn’t fight for our country. I didn’t earn my freedom. But I won’t fail to respect the privilege of living in a country where freedom has been handed through the generations. Where other brave souls fight to protect it. 

I love this country. I'm thankful to live here.

I also love my blog followers. Remember to visit my Gratitude Giveaways post to enter to win one of two signed books.



Comments

  1. Melissa Ann GoodwinNovember 19, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    That was terrific. I wrote a guest post for my blog tour next week that is about gratitude, and the thing that inspired me is the veteran's cemetery across the highway. We walked through there the other day and it was so peaceful and so moving. All these people who offered to serve to protect us. It humbled me.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shelli (srjohannes)November 20, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    Awesome! Thanks for the follow!:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kai Strand, AuthorNovember 20, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    Melissa, what a touching idea to wander through a veteran cemetary. I'm going to have to put that on my to-do list.

    Shelli, I might be stalking, more than following. Hope that isn't creepy.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author of Open Minds, Presents:

Image
Finding Time to Write the Sequel by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) Even before I decided to self-publish my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) , I knew it would be a trilogy. But once I had made the decision to publish, the need to get busy on the sequel(s) kicked into high gear. Except that I was also publishing a book. Most writers find it difficult to balance writing with all the other demands in life. Even people who are lucky enough to write full time (which I am, since I write while my kids are at school), there’s still a tug between writing time and all the other things that need to be done. Once you’re published, this all changes, and not for the better. Now, not only do you need to write and get the kids to school and get the laundry done, but you also need to market your book, which can mean everything from actually getting it published (edits, covers, websites, blogs)
Read more

Robot Writing - What It Is & How to Avoid It

Image
Many beginner writers fall into the habit of what I like to refer to as “robot writing.” It’s when you basically write your scenes like a grocery list. Ex: Marcy stood and walked across the room. Then she picked up the candle stick to inspect it. She blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Marcy dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. I call it robot writing because when I'm reading it I tend to fall into a robotic pattern and start to sound like the robot from the old Lost In Space series. "Danger. Danger. Will Robinson." You may as well put numbers in front of each sentence: First Marcy stood and walked across the room. Second she picked up the candlestick to inspect it. Third she blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Fourth she dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. Don’t get me wrong, robot writing is absolutely acceptable in your first draft, no matter your writing experience. Your first p
Read more

Don't Be Closed Minded. Read a Banned Book. #Giveaway

Image
On this list , compiled by the ALA, of the top 100 challenged books of the decades 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, I've read: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Adventure of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Blubber Crank The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Dead Zone The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things Fat Kid Rules the World The Giver Harry Potter (series) The Hunger Games (series) The Kite Runner The Lovely Bones Olive's Ocean Speak Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes That Was Then, This Is Now Thirteen Reasons Why Twilight (series) A Wrinkle In Time I would recommend any of them, but especially the titles I've linked. The thing with me and banned books is that I don't get it. The banning thing. Why would you ever feel the right to keep a book out of the hands of other readers? Why would you feel you have the authority to say what some can and cannot read? Do you have the right to voice your o
Read more