A Legacy and an Inheritance
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. " ~Benjamin Disraeli
My birthday is near Memorial Day, and because of the nature of the holiday there have been several times when it fell exactly on Memorial Day. As a child, I remember seeing the flags go up in our neighborhoods and thinking that those flags were put out in honor of my birthday. It is no wonder that I have surrounded myself with American flags as a decor in our home. We eat off of plates with red, white and blue. We sleep under a quilt that has red, white and blue. One day I will take inventory of all of the flags that are nestled in my house and I'm sure that even I will be surprised by the collection I have accrued.
Memorial Day has nothing to do with my birthday but everything to do with me. We pause on this important holiday to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for freedoms that our country were founded on. The legacy of the heroes who have made my freedom possible is an incredible one. Service members have gone to Godforsaken places and endured horrible circumstances to preserve our country's beliefs. When I was a little girl, stepping off of the bus from school, enjoying the many flags that flew I thought mostly about the extra day I would have at home on Memorial weekend. It is now as a grown woman that I realize that the ability to go to school, to ride that bus, to have that life so many years ago was the inheritance I was given because of the sacrifices made by heroes.
I am a child of immigrants. My parents went through extreme circumstances to come to America and worked hard for the life that they have. They are the embodiment of the American Dream. If there was a risk, they took it. If there was work to do that would make our lives better, they did it. Every step of the way, every freedom that we had they reminded me how lucky I was. When I graduated high school, they were there smiling in the audience. When I graduated college, they were there, proud of the accomplishment that we all shared. When we traveled back to their homelands I saw all too clearly the differences between the childhoods they had and the one they gave me.
On Memorial Day I remember those who have fought to make my freedom's available to me. I'm thankful that my parents risked it all to come to this beautiful country so that I may have the life I cherish today. I'm grateful to those who continue to wear the uniform and serve so that my children's children will have the chance to stand under our amazing flag and all it stands for.
My birthday is near Memorial Day, and because of the nature of the holiday there have been several times when it fell exactly on Memorial Day. As a child, I remember seeing the flags go up in our neighborhoods and thinking that those flags were put out in honor of my birthday. It is no wonder that I have surrounded myself with American flags as a decor in our home. We eat off of plates with red, white and blue. We sleep under a quilt that has red, white and blue. One day I will take inventory of all of the flags that are nestled in my house and I'm sure that even I will be surprised by the collection I have accrued.
Memorial Day has nothing to do with my birthday but everything to do with me. We pause on this important holiday to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for freedoms that our country were founded on. The legacy of the heroes who have made my freedom possible is an incredible one. Service members have gone to Godforsaken places and endured horrible circumstances to preserve our country's beliefs. When I was a little girl, stepping off of the bus from school, enjoying the many flags that flew I thought mostly about the extra day I would have at home on Memorial weekend. It is now as a grown woman that I realize that the ability to go to school, to ride that bus, to have that life so many years ago was the inheritance I was given because of the sacrifices made by heroes.
I am a child of immigrants. My parents went through extreme circumstances to come to America and worked hard for the life that they have. They are the embodiment of the American Dream. If there was a risk, they took it. If there was work to do that would make our lives better, they did it. Every step of the way, every freedom that we had they reminded me how lucky I was. When I graduated high school, they were there smiling in the audience. When I graduated college, they were there, proud of the accomplishment that we all shared. When we traveled back to their homelands I saw all too clearly the differences between the childhoods they had and the one they gave me.
On Memorial Day I remember those who have fought to make my freedom's available to me. I'm thankful that my parents risked it all to come to this beautiful country so that I may have the life I cherish today. I'm grateful to those who continue to wear the uniform and serve so that my children's children will have the chance to stand under our amazing flag and all it stands for.
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