Presidents Day

My most memorable Presidents Day was when my son was in preschool. As we drove down Main Street, which was ablaze in red, white and blue, Tommy -- my little boy of a million "whys" -- demanded to know why the streets of our small town were lined with large flags. When I told him it was to celebrate the birthdays of Presidents Lincoln and Washington, he said he wanted the flags to fly for his birthday too. So when his birthday rolled around the next month, I pointed out the flags flying at all the schools and government buildings we passed and told him they were flying for his birthday. He was so happy he wouldn't have needed a gift that year.

Speaking of flags ... we recently had flags flown over the Capitol in honor of some friends who had just become citizens. When we presented one of the flags, along with a certificate and a letter of congratulations from our congressman, to the father, he got tears in his eyes, kissed the flag and said in broken English, "God bless America, my country." It's at such moments that I'm reminded not to take our country for granted. This man and his family fled to America from Iran where they were persecuted for their religious beliefs. In fact, just a few days before we gave him the flag, he had learned that his cousins had been arrested in Iran simply because of their faith.

Yes, our country has its problems. But today, instead of dwelling on those problems, let's be thankful for all the things that are right about our country. Today, let the flags wave for all the presidents who have served our country, for all the troops who have offered their lives to keep us free, for all the people who have fled to our shores in search of freedom and for all our children who will someday find their own place in this great land of ours.