Memorial Day

Okay, today is the end of the wimpy blogs. I'm so sorry that the past few have been short, or GIF filled,  or one liners. The summer is here, so things are on track to change and be a bit more interesting since i'll have time to sit down and really write. 

Of course, the obvious topic for this weekend is Memorial Day, a day where most Americans purchase red, white, and blue plastic ware, grill out, and enjoy the first official weekend of the summer. But this U.S. federal holiday is not just for a good family backyard BBQ. It's a time to remember the great men and women who died while serving in the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

We don't really have any family members who have passed away during their service to our country. I'm extremely lucky that my fiance, in the US Air Force, is coming up on two years as an Airman and has yet to be deployed to a war zone, or anywhere he could be in any sort of danger. I'm so incredibly thankful for that. 

 But there are countless men and women who have lost their lives during their time of service. However, it is a great time to get together with your family, because that is what freedom is all about. We are all so fortunate to live in a place where our families can get together, without fear of persecution for our race or religion. 

As a woman, I feel that I am fortunate to live in a place where women can be represented in our armed forces, and represented in business, media, and families. Of course, if you know me, you know that I feel that,  even though women are represented in these various facets of our culture, we still have a long way to go before we reach complete equality. Some

 people believe that our society can never and will never be perfectly equal. But we are much, much closer than other countries around the world.

I am thankful to have been born in the USA, but I am also thankful for the opportunities provided to me just because of where I was born. Because of being born to an American family, I've been able to live relatively near to my extended family, go to college with the help of loans from the government {a blessing and a curse, I suppose}, and I've been able to voice my opinion freely on Facebook, twitter, and this very blog! Many countries don't even allow their citizens the right to a Facebook page or the internet!-which is something we take for granted all the time. It seems little and frivolous but its a place where anyone can say anything and basically, all they risk is a possible un-friending from friends and family. 

The bottom line of this post is to be thankful. Let's be thankful for silly things like Facebook, and lets be thankful for huge things like family and freedom. 

For Memorial day, I will not be BBQing or swimming in the pool, I will be chaperoning

my church's Mid High Choir Tour.  Though I won't be eating on a plate patterned like Old Glory, I will be traveling through central Florida, listening to middle schoolers sing about the love of Christ and playing hand bell music with some really cool young teens. I'm thankful to be able to travel with them and get to know them. I'm thankful for that freedom-and for the freedom to make mistakes, the freedom to voice your opinion, and the freedom to be who you are. For me, that personal freedom comes from God and in a lot of ways, from the nation I live in. 

Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!