Lend Me Your Ears

      "Democracy is…the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people."

                                            Harry Emerson Fosdick

This morning at my daughters' school, I was participated in the Pledge of Allegiance and sang "The Star Spangled Banner" with the student body. As I sang along, tears welled in my eyes. I always get a little emotional with this song, but today was different. I had the knot-in-my-throat kind of reaction. I spent the day wondering why I had such a response to our anthem, and here's what I came up with…

Our country and its current affairs are almost too much for us to bear. We complain, we panic, we argue, we lose confidence. And while I know these are normal and expected reactions, this is sad for America. She is our land of opportunity and hope. Think about what she means to each and everyone one of us. FREEDOM. Freedom to speak, worship, vote, protest…all of it.  We can change our tomorrows by what we do today. And I believe that somewhere in this vast nation of ours, someone is doing just that…coming up with solutions, ideas, and answers to what we are facing. 

So, the tears…let's just say I was overcome with hope that tomorrow will be better… America is just that kind of place.