How Free I Am

Oh, the simple pleasures of this American life!

Four years ago, I loved the simplicity of our milk and blueberry pancakes.  Then next year, I was struck by ordinary pleasures of strawberries.  And, just like in all the years past, this morning we visit the Boalsburg Memorial Day Fair and gather with neighbors at the Pie Contest. The same woman who has been judging for 50 years selects the Plum Peach Pie as the winner. (Last year it was the Coconut Key Lime) Then, in 2012, I remembered again this truth (that some families feel more deeply than others today):

The Smallest Things Pay Tribute

On Memorial Day, I pause with the kind of awareness that brings tears to my eyes.  I'm aware of my particular freedoms--the smallest ones that I always take for granted--that were secured for me by the sacrifice of others.

It's amazing. It's humbling.  It makes these little blueberries in the bowl, this warm cup of coffee, these sausages in the pan, these bathing suits ready for an afternoon at the pool, and this little sentence signify freedom and opportunity.  They signify safety.

I hardly think about this on most days.

Perhaps the fact that I don't often think about how free I am proves the extent of my freedom.  

It comes at a great cost, and I'm so thankful today. I know that some families think about this every day.  They've lost loved ones, and for them, this isn't a day they suddenly remember or pay tribute.  Every day is a sacrifice for them.  I'm thankful for them today, too.  

I'm still thankful for them in 2014. We'll go to the community pool as usual, barbecue out back, and enjoy our very American life. Thank you.