"I thank God, I was born and American child, 'cause dreams can grow wild born inside an American child.” - Phil Vassar

 

Memorial Day, that time of year when we roll out the grill and have a long weekend with family and friends.  Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer for me.   I know the calendar says we still have weeks to go but it signifies the launch of my time, at the lake.  It is a much beloved time of year, one I have been anticipating for months and months.  Memorial weekend has always meant the same thing for me, from the time when I was a young child.  I don’t recall a Memorial Day that I haven’t spent at the lake, and this past weekend was no different.  We dredged out into the FREEZING COLD lake water (yes COLD – I think was in the 40s) and put the dock in, at my family cottage, for the season.  The generation before me did this, my generation has played a role and now my daughter’s generation is getting the chance to experience this family tradition as well.  

I heard a song the other day by country singer Phil Vassar that made think of how blessed I am to be American.  The chorus went like this, “I thank God, I was born and American child, 'cause dreams can grow wild born inside an American child.”   I am proud to be an American, because of the men and women who fight day after day, giving me the privilege to dream now and even when I was a child.  Being an American has always meant the sky’s was the limit to me.  I can’t imagine living in a country where my dreams didn’t matter or I wasn’t given the right to believe my dreams would come true.  Our soldiers fight for the next generation of dreamers and give our children the right to have their dreams grow wild without limitations.  I am so grateful, on this Memorial Day, for the men and women who fight for this freedom. They put their lives on the line for the future of our families.  This is the biggest contribution anyone can give.   In my eyes this makes them HEROS. 

This Memorial Day celebrate the Red, White and Blue and go out and thank someone who has put your children’s future before their own.   If you see a solider or a veteran, go up and thank them, it’s because of them that we have such liberties, in our American lives.   We mustn’t forget the real reason we all have the great fortune of picnics and parades, on this long weekend, our fallen HEROS.  I will keep in mind the brave men and women who didn’t come home to their own families, just so that I could have the opportunity to continue my family tradition of being at the lake.  At no time will I forget the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice and will never have the opportunity to see all the generations in their family, get together for a family tradition.   I am so thankful for those who sacrifice day in and day out to let our children dream big and have NO limitations because they are AMERICAN.   Thank you to our troops and all the fallen heroes who came before, for my Freedom to DREAM!