Pilgrim's Pride

I was thinking this morning about my ancestors and the great heritage they have left me. I am pretty sure that most Americans can say that they came from families without much money. I know I can. My family tree consists of paupers and Pilgrims, pioneers and patriots. Maybe even pirates, who knows? Yes, Patchs for sure! But no where on my family tree do I see dollar signs. They were salt of the earth, working class people. They did what they could and what they had to do to take care of their families. My grandfather went to college in Chicago to become a chiropractor. He never got to practice. Instead, the depression came along and he drove trucks. My grandmother didn't have a job outside the home, but what a worker she was! Though she was raised on a farm, she ended up living in the city of Buffalo, NY with a garden in her backyard. My grandparents rented out rooms in their home to make ends meet, and their children slept in the attic. Trust me, this was no bed and breakfast! At one point my father's parents lost their home and could not find a place to move into as soon as they needed. My mother's parents told them that if they got desperate they could stay in their cellar. Well, they actually did become that desperate, and for a few months they took up residence next to the furnace in a very small room with only a bed. This must have been in about 1947 because I remember (and I was only a year old) calling down the radiator grill in the floor to my grandfather and hearing him call back to me. A sweet memory for me, not so great for them.

Another family of mine lived on the plains of Alberta, Canada. They farmed their land and fought the elements and whatever else life threw at them. They were Mormons and from them I got my faith and my fat legs. No, not all Mormons have fat legs, I just happened to have been blessed doubly. 

My Great-great-grandfather Davidson died from an accident while chopping wood with an ax. No doctors were in the area and one of the boys rode as fast as he could to Lethbridge to get a doctor. The doctor wouldn't come. He said it wasn't worth the ride as grandfather would be dead by the time he reached him. Turns out he was right. 

When it came time for the crops to be harvested, neighbors came from all around, bringing their own harvesting equipment (whatever they had back in 1897) and they harvested all the crops for Grandma Davidson. I suspect there are many, many stories like this across America. Communities pulling together to take care of their own. 

Granted, this story took place in Canada, but the community spirit is the same. My grandmother used to love to sing Oh Canada.I love to sing America the Beautiful! I love this song! It is emotional and stirring and full of wisdom and inspires us to be better people, better Americans! It unites us! Click on the link and read the words. They are amazing. 

 America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea! 

 My heritage was built on the backs of my ancestors, and they came from many different countries to build this nation into something great. They were paupers and Pilgrims, Pioneers and Patriots! I bet yours were too!

STAND TALL AMERICA

Stand tall America. Stand tall and never forget. Never forget what our country suffered on September 11, 2001. Stand tall as our flag still waves over our land declaring our freedom, our pride in our country and our gratitude to our Heavenly Father who still watches over us.

I always get a thrill when I see our flag waving in the breeze! When I was a child we pledged our allegiance to the flag each day in school. We sang songs about our flag and our country and we were taught that we lived in a land that valued freedom and fought to keep it. Everyone deserves to live in freedom, and everyone deserves to have a flag that waves over their land declaring their freedom and representing what they believe. Freedom isn't just an American value, it is a human right!

Here is what I see when I look at our flag: I see the white stripes that declare honor and virtue; I see the red that stands for blood spilled to preserve us against those who wish to destroy us; and I see a field of stars on blue that represent our dreams and aspirations, our yearnings to live up to the dreams of patriots past, and to hold fast to our convictions that peace will prevail.

September 11 will never be just another day. It should make us think.