"God Bless America"

As I write this it is July 4, 2006. It is the most patriotic holiday of the year and a time when we reflect back on where our country has been, where it is, and where it is going. It is a day of happiness and a day of sadness, a time of hope and a time of fear. I have seen some terrible things in my lifetime and I am always fearful of what else might occur.

I have lived through a lot of wars in my life. The first I really remember was the Korean conflict. I had a cousin who married a man who was in the military. He was sent to Korea and she came home to Clinton to live while he was away. Listening to Patricia talk about Marshall and his involvement in that war made it more personal for me. Then when it was over and he came home it was a time of great celebrating within my family.

Next came Vietnam. It was very personal to me as I was in the military during that time and lived with the reality that on any given day I could get orders to go there. That never happened for me but it happened to a lot of my friends. They got the news and they went. Luckily all but one of them came home. 

The scars I saw from that war among my friends were mostly emotional rather than physical. I saw a lot of marriages break up because of Vietnam. Spouses who were not used to making all the decisions about family life had to take on that role while they were alone. Then when their partner returned and wanted to reassume those duties, well it caused conflict. And some of these conflicts couldn't be overcome.

Next came the first Gulf War and now the second incursion into the Middle East. I hate the thought of families being ripped apart because of this war, and I pray for and fear for every person assigned to Iraq or Afghanistan. I don't discuss the politics of the war because I am conflicted in my thoughts. 

When my two sons were growing up I worried there would be a war and they would be drawn into it. Now they are older and there is no draft so I don't worry as much - about them. Now I worry about my grandson and the duty that might fall on him someday.

Wouldn't it be great to have a period of absolute peace! I don't see that ever happening but it would be ideal. Maybe that is what heaven is all about. 

So today I celebrate our independence. At the same time I celebrate I also pray for our leaders as well as the leaders of the countries with which we are not on good terms. The state of the world is a tenuous one and only a higher power seems to have the power to keep things safe. I pray and I hope, and I hope and I pray.

God bless America, and God bless the world!

 

 

 

 

 

©2006 Jackie K. Cooper

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