Foto Friday–Red, White, & Blue

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This week’s theme is Red, White and Blue.  How appropriate!  That Kim….always thinking.

This picture is practically SOOC.  I did run it through Photoshop to do the auto level and contrast adjustments, but other than that, I didn’t touch it.  I love how my sister decorates her house for the holidays.  Her colonial blue house is the perfect backdrop for her patriotic bunting.  You can see a picture of her house in my Memorial Day post. 

Happy 4th of July!

Patriotic Celebration

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The Fourth of July is coming up soon, and for our country that’s a BIG deal.  The fourth is our Independence Day when we celebrate our nation’s freedom.  (I say that because there are a few non-Americans who actually read my blog) Sometimes I let it become all about the family picnics and fireworks, but not this year.

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Fortunately, for me and my community, I am able to participate in a Patriotic Celebration at my church that honors God, our military, and first responders (police, firefighters, EMS, and 911 operators).  Every year, we do a big choir number and have our military come forward to be honored.  This year’s arrangement includes a lot of songs about our flag and our freedom. 

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The video that is shown while we’re singing is incredible.  I can’t watch it without tearing up, so it’s a good thing I can’t see it while we’re singing!  Some of the images are of soldiers saying goodbye to family, some are of Arlington National Cemetery and all the white headstones, and some are of our flag.

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One song in particular is titled “There She Stands.”  It’s about how, in the darkest moments in our nation’s history, someone has raised the flag high and given our enemy no victory over their attack. 

(Our choir director has informed us that a WWII Veteran will be at our church on Sunday who was there to witness this one!  How amazing is that?!)

The moment that gets me the most is the one I witnessed in my own lifetime.

Images from September 11, 2001 will never leave me.  The moment I see a picture of the flag, twin towers, or the rubble, I turn to mush.  I am immediately transported back to that day and time and feel the sadness, disbelief and confusion all over again.  I can’t believe that it was 10 years ago already.

I hope I’m able to make it through the service on Sunday morning with no tears.  I’m sure that’s a long shot, since I’ve been tearing up at every practice we’ve had.  It’s so powerful.  I feel it’s a privilege to stand up on that stage and honor our military men and women as well as our police and fire fighters.  Political differences and frustrations aside, I thank every single one of them for the freedom I have living in this country. 

And I kinda love that images of our flag makes me teary.