I am ...

-
I am a child of God
I have faith in the Lord, hope in His promises, and strive to love others as Christ has called His children to do. I believe that we are in a time when we can easily forget our human form was fearfully and wonderfully made. We can become so wrapped up in the what-ifs that we take our worry and anger out on anyone who does not reside in the echo chamber of doubt and fear with us. We can judge others if they do not believe all the fake-news stories that float through the air faster than a virus. However, in this household, we will not be plagued by unkindness, we will not show hatred towards our brothers and sisters (masks or no masks), nor will we fall victim to believing the media hype that tells us we should be afraid to be human.
I am human
This is a saying that I have always used with my kids, "God made dirt, and dirt don't hurt." This attitude came in large part because I was raised by my grandfather who was born in 1918. He used to tell me that "bugs and dirt do a body good."  As an adult, I have studied how our microbiome (in and on us) helps us to build strong immune systems, and I fear the backlash of living in a disinfected, protective bubble. Let us not forget that we were created with immune systems that were meant to be exposed to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, this post is not just about recognizing that we are humans with complex immune systems that need exposure to things like the sun, fresh air, germs, and dirt, to grow stronger. It is also fueling my need to share that I am an American citizen.
I am an American
I am blessed to love courageous individuals who have served this country to protect my right to even type this post. I am the granddaughter of an Army war hero who earned a purple heart in WWII. I am the daughter of an Army veteran. I am the daughter-in-law of an honorable man who served in the National Guard. I am the sister of an Air Force veteran and a medically-separated Army veteran who has been to war multiple times to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am the niece of two career Navy veterans. I am the wife of a Naval officer who deployed to the desert after 9-11 and has been shipped to multiple locations in the world throughout our 20-year marriage. I am also the proud mother of a brand new United States Marine. Plus, I have countless friends who have served or still serve all around the world. Each of our military members and their families make great sacrifices to ensure our freedom from tyranny. It is time to remember that WE THE PEOPLE declared our independence because "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

So, stand up as humans with kindness and morals (and fully-functioning immune systems) and be an American with conviction to fight for freedom over fear. 
Show the love of Christ by being the kind in humankind and value the freedom many have given their own lives to protect.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

School Lunch

-
Image
I love lunch at school, but not for the same reasons I enjoyed it as a child. As a kid, who loved to eat, I could not wait until lunch because it meant a break from the monotony, something warm to fill my belly, and time to read my book.  However, now that I am a teacher I enjoy lunch because it gives me an opportunity to reach out to my kids, and to have conversations outside of the normal classroom environment. Some teachers do not want their lunch time interrupted, and this is completely understandable.  Honestly, there are days when I could really use some down time to "stew" in my office, void of any noise. Days when I would enjoy being able to block out the world for 30 minutes and read a book to relax. However, there never seems to be enough time to connect to my kids or their families, and lunch is a perfect opportunity to squeeze in those few extra relational minutes. Having time to meet with my students during lunch is not something I just decided to do one ...
Read more

Wrestling to Make a Difference

-
Image
Blow the dust off your yearbook, and take a walk down memory lane with me. Take a look at all those shining faces filled with promise, potential and hope. I scan these images of my past and let the memories wash over me. I wonder how many of us imagined we would be where we are today. I cannot help but notice that there are many faces I have not seen since high school, and I do not know where they are or what they are doing with their lives. It is amazing how time flies and how easy it is to lose touch with those we spent everyday with for so many years. There are friends I never thought would become memories, but sadly I have lost touch with them. This is life of course, and we all grow up and move on eventually. Yet, as a teenager you dream big, and see life with a sort of hunger and fire we tend to lose as adults. We think we will never grow old, we are invincible and we will always have one another's back. I was privileged enough to attend a high school in a small tow...
Read more

The Moment I Became A Teacher

-
Image
I know the moment when my life changed forever. The details of the last few minutes of “normal” are etched in my memory, and after 23 years the images have not faded.  I was skipping with my classmates to “Skip to My Lou My Darling,” when the secretary came into my first grade classroom and asked me to follow her to the office. I still remember the somber look on her face, and how long the hallway seemed as she stoically escorted me to the front doors. I was scared, and I was trying to rack my brain for any inclination of what I could have done wrong to get sent to the office. I was a good kid, and never did anything “bad.” In-fact, I hardly ever talked, and had never had problems with anyone in school.  When I saw my aunt standing by the front doors, I sighed with relief and smiled.  However, whatever relief I felt at seeing her standing there was short lived because I could tell something was wrong. It was a long agonizing few minutes as she quietly def...
Read more