Being an American

My family and I recently took a trip to Washington DC. In nine days, we stopped at every sight you can see in our nation’s capital. It was a trip that I thoroughly enjoyed and I stand reminded of the history of this amazing country.

Washington DC is a teeming city full of life and people. It smells bad, is dirty, full of crowds and congested traffic. Half the people we saw were foreign or didn't speak much English. There were large groups of junior high kids on their end of the year field trips, swarming around the monuments and creating an endless barrage of noise. The local people, for the most part, were cold and unfriendly.

Despite these negative elements, I found Washington DC to be a huge reminder of the amazing country God has allowed me to grow up in and I truly enjoyed the trip. There is nothing quite like seeing the pieces of the founding of the United States—from the resting places of our greatest leaders, to the documents that formed the freedoms we cherish, I realized we have so much that we take for granted.

The one thing that stood out to me the most was seeing the “Star Spangled Banner” the flag that Francis Scott Key looked upon as he penned the words to our national anthem. In the Smithsonian Museum of American History, a whole display is set aside just for this flag. It is dimly lit, with the anthem playing in the background. You walk a short hallway; its walls display the history of the American Revolution and the events leading up to the moment when our anthem was written during the War of 1812.  Then you round the darkened corner. Lying to the side, lit in a blue tone and thin as paper, lays an enormous flag. It is tattered with holes, its threads are bare, its color has faded, but it took my breath away. I placed my hands on the cool glass and stared at this magnificent piece of our history. It was in that moment that I realized one thing; we are rich.

We are wealthy beyond compare. As Americans we are rich in ways that no other people can be. This country, its history and the principles we stand on, are a gift from God Himself.  We have freedom, land, prosperity, wealth, and rights that few other people have had preserved for such a standing span of time.

Oh, yes we have our flaws. We have history that is marred by war and hate, by bloodshed and prejudice. Our leaders have made mistakes, we tend to become too proud, and our freedoms have been infringed on. But yet, despite all of this, we have one thing that no one else has.

We are Americans.

We are free.

Our country stands as the epitome of freedom—to the people of the world, “America” and “freedom” are synonymous. We can be proud of this fact. We can wear our colors and sing our anthem and serve our country and protect our freedoms. Because that is who we are, and if we have lost this passion, then we have lost what it means to be an American.

I only pray that these monuments and reminders continue to stand—that we won’t forget the history that brought us to this land or the events that created the people we are. Our founding fathers gave up wealth, security, and even life itself to ensure the freedom of generations to come. This fact leaves me with one question; would we be willing to do the same?

© Copyright Charity K, 2013