Sweet Liberty
"What do you want to do this weekend?"
We considered the question Friday morning, reviewed the weather forecast, discussed it with the family, and finally decided to stay home. We stayed in bed a little late, goofed around a while, and then ventured out to the Georgia International Horse Park for the fireworks. We strolled by booths with smiling candidates and those that were peddling their wares. Then we stopped to shake hands with Mr. Tommy Clack and the other men staffing booths for the veterans groups. Mr. Clack is a very distinguished gentleman, and exactly the kind of man we should be celebrating on Independence Day. Mr. Clack lost both legs and one arm in service to this country in Vietnam. Instead of feeling like the world owed him for it, Mr. Clack continues to serve. He works tirelessly to champion veterans' causes as well as POW/MIA's. As the fireworks crackled in the dark sky, I was thankful for what Mr. Clack and thousands and thousands of others have done for us all. Freedom definitely isn't free.
"What do you want to do today?"
We considered the question again on Saturday morning. Should we go to the mountains or stay home? We opted to have breakfast with Mama, Granny & Papa, then take a ride out to the Veterans Memorial Park to see how it was coming along. We pushed Papa out to where his commemorative brick is in the memorial in the shadow of the bronze statue of 5 servicemen with the world on their shoulders. Behind was the quote, "Greater love hath no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." I thought of Papa on that beach in France. While soldiers were digging in, trying to find shelter from the incoming fire, medics scrambled wherever there was a need. I thought also of Barry, having served in two wars. Freedom comes with a price.
We did a few things around Granny and Papa's house, then decided that we'd go to the movies. Mama came with us. The movie wouldn't start for another 90 minutes. "What do you want to eat?" We decided to walk to a restaurant, then back to the movies. When we came back out of the theater, Mama went on her way and we decided we didn't want to go home yet. We instead walked a trail at Big Haynes Creek Nature Center. The wetlands were breathtaking! We enjoyed the singing of the frogs while watching the fish jump. It is amazing to think this is in our own backyard! We decided to go get some ice cream before we went home. We enjoyed this treat on benches outside the ice cream parlor. Black, white, and Hispanic families all smiled and laughed as the children played. Freedom is for us all.
"What do you want to do today?"
We slept late this morning. A midday thunderstorm gave us an excuse to laze around the house. The kids played and we dozed as the rain came down. Finally we ventured out to have a late lunch. Afterward we packed a few essentials in day packs and headed back to the trails we had discovered yesterday. Our camera captured some beautiful discoveries. In the fresh mud of the trail were very recent deer tracks. We saw some cool insects and a couple of surprised turtles. Suddenly our way was barred by an unfriendly soul. He waved his arms menacingly in the air, even as I stooped to take his photo. The little crawdad didn't take his beady little eyes off of us and continued to gesture with his claws long after we passed him on the trail. This encounter made the whole day even better! We ended up back at the wetlands where we enjoyed the redwing blackbirds and a tiny turtle. The mood was broken when we spotted a poacher across the lake. He was reeling in big fish in an area where fishing is not allowed. We headed back for the Jeep where we called the police. We're free, but we all must play by the rules.
Tonight we are snug in our home. We don't sleep in fear. We have a choice in where we go, in how we spend our day, in where and what we eat. This weekend we celebrated Independence Day. Over two centuries ago, men dared to stand up and say, "We want freedom and liberty." Since that time, brave men and women have stepped up and answered the call to defend the freedom and liberty of the United States of America and other nations in need. Even today our servicemen and women are around the world to insure that freedom for all. We are truly blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Happy Birthday America!
We considered the question Friday morning, reviewed the weather forecast, discussed it with the family, and finally decided to stay home. We stayed in bed a little late, goofed around a while, and then ventured out to the Georgia International Horse Park for the fireworks. We strolled by booths with smiling candidates and those that were peddling their wares. Then we stopped to shake hands with Mr. Tommy Clack and the other men staffing booths for the veterans groups. Mr. Clack is a very distinguished gentleman, and exactly the kind of man we should be celebrating on Independence Day. Mr. Clack lost both legs and one arm in service to this country in Vietnam. Instead of feeling like the world owed him for it, Mr. Clack continues to serve. He works tirelessly to champion veterans' causes as well as POW/MIA's. As the fireworks crackled in the dark sky, I was thankful for what Mr. Clack and thousands and thousands of others have done for us all. Freedom definitely isn't free.
"What do you want to do today?"
We considered the question again on Saturday morning. Should we go to the mountains or stay home? We opted to have breakfast with Mama, Granny & Papa, then take a ride out to the Veterans Memorial Park to see how it was coming along. We pushed Papa out to where his commemorative brick is in the memorial in the shadow of the bronze statue of 5 servicemen with the world on their shoulders. Behind was the quote, "Greater love hath no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." I thought of Papa on that beach in France. While soldiers were digging in, trying to find shelter from the incoming fire, medics scrambled wherever there was a need. I thought also of Barry, having served in two wars. Freedom comes with a price.
We did a few things around Granny and Papa's house, then decided that we'd go to the movies. Mama came with us. The movie wouldn't start for another 90 minutes. "What do you want to eat?" We decided to walk to a restaurant, then back to the movies. When we came back out of the theater, Mama went on her way and we decided we didn't want to go home yet. We instead walked a trail at Big Haynes Creek Nature Center. The wetlands were breathtaking! We enjoyed the singing of the frogs while watching the fish jump. It is amazing to think this is in our own backyard! We decided to go get some ice cream before we went home. We enjoyed this treat on benches outside the ice cream parlor. Black, white, and Hispanic families all smiled and laughed as the children played. Freedom is for us all.
"What do you want to do today?"
We slept late this morning. A midday thunderstorm gave us an excuse to laze around the house. The kids played and we dozed as the rain came down. Finally we ventured out to have a late lunch. Afterward we packed a few essentials in day packs and headed back to the trails we had discovered yesterday. Our camera captured some beautiful discoveries. In the fresh mud of the trail were very recent deer tracks. We saw some cool insects and a couple of surprised turtles. Suddenly our way was barred by an unfriendly soul. He waved his arms menacingly in the air, even as I stooped to take his photo. The little crawdad didn't take his beady little eyes off of us and continued to gesture with his claws long after we passed him on the trail. This encounter made the whole day even better! We ended up back at the wetlands where we enjoyed the redwing blackbirds and a tiny turtle. The mood was broken when we spotted a poacher across the lake. He was reeling in big fish in an area where fishing is not allowed. We headed back for the Jeep where we called the police. We're free, but we all must play by the rules.
Tonight we are snug in our home. We don't sleep in fear. We have a choice in where we go, in how we spend our day, in where and what we eat. This weekend we celebrated Independence Day. Over two centuries ago, men dared to stand up and say, "We want freedom and liberty." Since that time, brave men and women have stepped up and answered the call to defend the freedom and liberty of the United States of America and other nations in need. Even today our servicemen and women are around the world to insure that freedom for all. We are truly blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth.
Happy Birthday America!
posted by Jennifer at 11:21 PM
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