It's a Holiday!

It's Flag Day, just in case you forgot to double check the calendar but unfortunately for our nation (except in Pennsylvania where it's a state holiday) the date is not a popularly recognized holiday.  Even though the Continental Congress passed the First Flag Act on June 14, 1777 with the adoption of the American flag and it's 13 stripes alternating red and white and 13 white stars on a field of blue, the day itself was never declared a national holiday.  President Wilson in 1916 issued a proclamation later signed by President Truman in 1949 that officially made the day actual legislation - it never made the leap as an official national holiday.  It seems there are many ways to look at one of our nation's most historic symbols and if asked of a dozen people, there will be a dozen different answers.  We had an opportunity this past fall to travel across our great country - 2000+ miles to Michigan and back and were able to see, as is always the case, many cities, small towns, rural areas and people.  I made the following observation that seems relevant to today - Flag Day.

"I try to stay off a soap box especially in these days of volatile rhetoric that seems to do little but incite anger and negativity. But while traveling through Colorado recently on a cool and crisp autumn morning at sunrise, my husband and I drove by a large ranch. Every so often was a flagpole with an American flag displayed gently blowing in the early morning breeze. What caught my eye was not the number of flags – there were well over two dozen – but the deplorable condition of them. Every one was tattered, torn, some barely recognizable as the Stars and Stripes and in every case, not one was lit in respect during the nighttime hours. With so much attention these days on everyone’s right to do as they please concerning the flag, I thought I might as well add my voice to the fray.

The idea of flags or banners representing countries or peoples is an age-old one. It was a unifying means of propelling a people forward. During America’s Civil War the flag bearer was an honored position. He was often at the front of his regiment hoisting the regimental flag. The men used this marker not only as a way to keep themselves organized but to move forward in battle, loyal to their regiment. As long as the men could see their flag the soldiers knew the field of battle was theirs. If the flag bearer fell, it was known among the men that they were not only duty bound but also honor bound to pick up the flag and proceed forward into battle. These regimental flags were often tattered, torn, bullet riddled and many eventually displayed with honor once the war had ended. These men knew the sacrifices that made that possible.

The same holds true for the men and women who have served in the military in our time. My family has known many of those men – husband, fathers, brothers, uncles, great-grandfather, and friends. Some did not come home. For each of them we fly our flag everyday, lighted each night, standing when the National Anthem is played with our hands over our hearts. It is not a matter of “have to.” It is a matter of “want to.” We want to be the next standard bearer in our family taking up the flag for the ones who have fallen before us. It is a matter of responsibility, pride, honor, duty and family. Without those things our family and our nation is simply nothing more than a piece of tattered and torn material blowing gently in the early morning breeze of a Colorado sunrise."

Happy Flag Day!  It's a great day in our corner of the world - long may this banner wave.

 

Home Again!

After 3 short weeks and over 3,600+ miles we are back in Arizona after a visit with family and friends in Iowa.  We saw a granddaughter graduate from high school, caught up with our son and his family, our youngest daughter and her family, both of Dean's brothers, his mother and many friends from our two Iowa pastorates.  We stayed with dear friends who are really more like family - so much so that I think our DNA must match in some wonky ways as we have shared some of the stories of our lives!  We are forever grateful for the Boyer's B & B - where we fix our own breakfast and make our own bed!  Because that's what family does!

The weather was typical for an Iowa spring - cool and wet!  We were thankful we had jeans and long sleeves with us for our trip to NE Iowa and the graduation ceremony as the high temp that weekend was a balmy, rainy 46!!  I got cold on the trip as we crossed into Kansas and didn't get warm until I got back out of the car in our driveway to unload our stuff!  Of course now that we have vacated the state, it's warm back there - in the 90s and sunny!  But then, it's warm and sunny here as well - close to 102 for a high today and up to 107 on Sunday.  We will probably make good use of the exercise room from now on to take our daily walks - no more of our walking the perimeter of the park for awhile!  Call us pansies or whatever else you care to - I don't relish the idea of having the EMTs stop by because one of us has gone down due to dehydration at 8:30 in the morning!

Other than rain on both the drive out and back and cool weather there, we had a great time catching up with everyone.  Our trip had to be cut short as we had been waiting to get a phone call from Dean's cardiologist concerning an upcoming surgical procedure.  He has been selected to participate in a clinical study for an FDA device for heart patients such as himself who have a limited heart function.  He had to undergo several pre-testings to be approved as well as fall under certain other criteria.  It is a device that will be implanted (much like his pacemaker/defibrillator) under the skin on the right side with a lead attached to the carotid artery.  It's rather technical but in the end the main function is to strengthen the heart muscle as it is in a weakened condition.  We returned early in order to be available for any other testing that needed to be done prior to the surgery, such as blood work, more paperwork, etc!  It looks like the tentative date for surgery is Saturday, June 17 so we would covet your prayers for us on that date.

As we were finishing up the last leg of our journey, we were about an hour from home (having filled up with fuel for the last time) and really on familiar ground by this time.  We rounded a curve on the road in the last large town before we would hit the last stretch of road home and in front of us was a silver car with a personalized license plate I recognized!  It was our friends from our park coming home from a day trip just up the road from where we picked them up!  What a small world!  After being gone 3 weeks and traveling over 3,000 miles we pull in behind a car that we know!  I texted Sue but folks, here's a serious reminder - never text and drive and never text without your glasses on!  Both will get you into trouble!  I was the passenger and I couldn't find my specs.  What started out as a simple "Look behind your car" came out something about a "cat"!  So for the next 10 minutes Dean and I were honking, waving and making fools of ourselves along the road while I kept trying to re-text spelling corrections to get Sue's attention!!  FINALLY, I got through to her we were behind their "car" and she rolled down her window and waved!  They met us at our place as we pulled into the driveway, all of us laughing as we got out of our "cars"!!  

One of these days I'll have to get a set of those eyeglass holders that go around my neck so I can keep track of my specs and avoid the texting disaster we went through!  But then this isn't the first time Sue and I have shared a goofy text or two and I did have my glasses on that time!  But that's a story for another time.  I'm just glad to be back in Arizona - maybe my corner of the world is a little warm but it's where I call home.