Lupus Alae


Spiritflights, fledgling and ancient

Pages

What day is it?

I am American. I am not, however, jingoistic. I consider myself a citizen of the world as a whole, in addition to my nation of origin, and thus on this day of celebration, I find myself in a reflective mood.

I'm grateful to have been born into a country and situation that meant I would survive childhood. I haven't had to worry about whether my next meal was coming; I received an education my parents didn't have to go broke for, through a compulsory national system. I have had opportunities to better myself and my situation in life. I'm not rich; my life isn't perfect. But I have a roof over my head and beds and food for my children, so I am very thankful.

But we have problems, as a nation. Big problems. And my heart goes out to the people who slip through the cracks; people whose futures have been stolen or compromised through no fault of their own. The system is flawed...the environment much abused...sometimes I wonder what legacy we are building for our children. And these problems are not uniquely or solely American.

My prayers today are with those who are fighting for some semblance of the freedom we in these most fortunate countries enjoy to varying degrees. It's a long, bloody, frustrating battle in whatever form it takes, and at some points I'm sure the cost almost seems too high, the risk too great. For all the movements scrabbling and clawing for footholds, that they might bring their citizens greater freedom and eventually a lasting peace and prosperity (or so goes the dream), I add my support and my voice. I promise to see you in the news and pray, instead of flipping quickly to an article more sanitized and less troubling. Don't give up.

My thoughts are with those all over the world who today remember and mourn those they've lost in the struggle to attain or maintain the freedom they wish to pass down to their children's children. May your sacrifice and that of your loved ones always be remembered.

I dream of a world where the flowering of freedom isn't continually watered with blood and tears. And I fervently hope to see a world before my passing that relies less on nationalism and borders and more on a global system of support and friendship, to better the lives of all citizens of the earth.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Powered by Blogger.