For the last several weeks Caroline has walked around the house singing bits and pieces of God Bless the USA by the bearded Lee Greenwood. Then sometime last week I noticed she was humming a few bars of the Air Force theme, Wild Blue Yonder. It all began to make sense when she was sent home with a note explaining that her school was having a special program in honor of Veterans’ Day.
And here I’d thought she was just some kind of musical prodigy with a penchant for patriotic tunes.
So yesterday morning Mimi and Gigi met me at the elementary school. I don’t know what they were expecting, but just seeing that gym full of elementary-aged kids and eager parents elbowing each other out of the way with cameras brought me back to the days of my own star-making role as Narrator #1 in Bammel Elementary’s production of Bambi. Which is to say that my expectations were not very high.
Then the program started and it was the best Veterans’ Day tribute I’ve ever experienced and I say that without a trace of sarcasm and that’s something that rarely happens.
I generally stay away from controversial topics like politics and whether or not I believe the best boots are the ones that zip up the side or pull on, but I don’t think it would take a political science wunderkind (how long have I been waiting to use that word?) to figure out which side of the political spectrum I lean towards. I mean I’m a Texan, my husband owns mass quantities of weaponry, and WE WATCH NASCAR.
As I watched those kids sing their little patriotic hearts out yesterday, I felt a sense of pride and hope for our country that I haven’t felt in a while. I’m not happy about the direction things are going and, honestly, I feel like we’re paying for our apathy.
Later in the day, P called me. He’d just attended a weekly lunchtime Bible study for high school students and was blown away by the guest speaker. It was an 83-year-old woman nicknamed Grandma Hansi. She was orphaned as a child and brainwashed as a Nazi Youth Leader when Hitler’s troops marched in to Czechoslovakia. At the end of the war she found herself in a Communist Labor Camp. The things she suffered are unimaginable to us but the short story is she ultimately became a Christian and came to America in 1955. She talked about the extreme culture shock she felt upon her arrival because she couldn’t even fathom the freedom that Americans take for granted. As she says on her website, “I would rather die than ever be unfree again. I pray that we as the American people will never take freedom for granted or we might lose it. If Freedom is lost, there will be no more refuge left for those who try to find a better way of life as I did when I came to America. The lights will go out around the world when freedom dies!”
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to spend anymore time taking that freedom for granted. Our veterans have fought long and hard for hundreds of years for us to enjoy the liberty we experience as American citizens and I think the best way to repay them is to not let anyone or anything take that away from us.
At the end of Caroline’s school program, two children began to fold up the American flag like they do at military funerals. As they made each fold they told what each fold represented. It was one of the most moving things I’ve ever heard and I’d never heard it before so I thought I’d share it with y’all.
The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother’s day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God we Trust.”
I realize this is not my usual kind of post and some of you may not agree with me. And that’s alright.
Because it’s still a free country.
Also, please don’t miss Patricia’s video of the El Salvadoran Singing Bunny. It’s gold.
**Edited to add that Caroline attends public school which is what makes it even more amazing.**
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Alright, we’re moving to TX just so my kids can go to this school!
My kid did a coloring page for Veteran’s day.
Wonderful post Melanie, makes me proud to be a Texan & American! Thank you for sharing.
I’m coming out of the shadows to say:
1. I LOVE your blog! and I read several. There are so many reasons to love it, the humor, the variety, the honesty, the fashion tips. But next to the sarcastic, laugh-out-loud wit you possess, you my lady, have a gift for creatively weaving together seemingly unrelated topics into cohesive & fluid post. Like a good episode of Seinfeld–3 stories converging into one moment of wonderment and suprise.
2. To the embarrassment of my children, I crumble into a teary mess of unparalleled patriotism at the sight of a flag, a soldier, a military parade or band, or a national monument. I nearly die every time I go the airport and watch the families saying good’bye to loved ones being deployed.
3. As moving as they are, the “meaning of the folds” isn’t part of the original ceremony or the tradition of the flag folding. These were added later. Much like the “tradition of the candy cane”, this is invented symbolism. Not a bad thing, I just think that needs to be clarified.
4. “Where’s that man who’s usually here” I’m still laughing at that line…..
You hit this one out of the park, Melanie.
Excellent. And I loved the meaning of the folds of the flag. Never knew that.
Amy
Beautiful post!! Thank you for sharing this.
First time I have ever written you…after finding your blog through Kelly’s Korner maybe 14 months ago! Anyways…could tell you LOVED Jesus! Awesome! You crack me up and I love to laugh about your cute daughter! But today was the first time I felt I had to write. That was amazing about the flag folds! I had NEVER heard that….our country is going in the wrong way!!!! America needs to WAKE UP!!!
We attend Mars Hill Church in Seattle. You can log on to MarsHillChurch.org and dowload sermons and music free. Our preaching Pastor is an amazing teacher!
Love your site…thanks.
P.S. A real way to show your appreciation to our marvelous soldiers is to do what a lady on Fox News does and what I have done several times and it’s this: when you see a person in uniform in a restaurant, ask the waiter to bring YOU the tab and pay for their meal very quietly. You will be flooded with such a blessed feeling that you can’t wait to do it again! I’ve also been known to walk up to soldiers at airports and, while thanking them for their service, press money into the palm of their hand. After recovering from their shock, they always take it.
Love you all,
Sally
SOG (Soldier of God
Beautiful.
I too had read “Hansi” when I was in elementary school – thanks for the name/memory.
Delurking here to say, “Thank you for writing this post.” It expresses how I have been feeling and did not realize it until you put it into words.
Enjoy your time in Nashville!
Thanks Big Mama! Amazing post! I never knew what all the folding of the flag stood for either . . . thanks for posting, amazing – and no need to apologize – I think you’ll find 99.9% of your readers are right there with you! politically and otherwise!
Thank you for posting this!
I loved your post. I too, value our freedom. However, after 30 years of voting Republican, I cannot relate to that party and have become firmly independent.
My vote probably canceled your vote, because I may look at some things a little differently. Which is why I treasure a country where we can agree to disagree. Let me just say, ” I may have voted for Obama, but I still love Big Mama.”
He got to meet Hansi. I want to meet Hansi. I read her book a few years ago, and she sounds absolutely amazing.
I agree that people do take our freedom for granted, but I disagree that that performance was in a public school. I know that the majority of Americans do believe in God, but what about the others percentages who do not? We are still American citizens and it’s not fair that my child would have to say those things if she/he were at Caroline’s school because I am NOT religious. I know that I should probably just keep my mouth shut on a post like this and “agree to disagree”, but I can’t and I’m sorry. Although we do disagree on some things, I still subscribe and love reading your blog! Just had to get my opinion out there…
amazing post. fantastic that they did this in a public school. They did nothing wrong by stating what the armed services believe as they fold the flag. Fantastic. Wonderful. In God we trust.
As the daughter of a retired U.S.Marine, the wife of a retired U.S. Army officer, the granddaughter of a U.S. Navy Chief and the niece of a U.S. Air Force veteran, I thank you for your wonderful patriotism. I’ve always been a patriot as it’s a way of life for our family. However, so many have strayed so far from those American roots. It’s good to know that our beloved Big Mama is a patriotic woman. I’ve always loved your blog, now I love it even more. Keep up your wonderful writing!!
It’s so great to know that there are still public schools out there who do what is RIGHT, rather than just what’s POLITICALLY CORRECT! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Love from Michigan,
Laura
I am a public school teacher and as I was reading, I said to my husband “I wish I would have planned something like that with my students!” And then I thought, but I teach in a public school that was recently scrutinized because of a prayer that was said, so I wouldn’t be able to do a program like that… which is sad to me. I am glad Caroline goes to school that allowed that. It is important to remember the principles our country is based upon.
And to the post by Julia, respectfully I say to you… the program was not to push views upon anyone. I imagine the program was to teach children what Veteran’s have done for our country, as well as to teach them what our flag represents and why it is treated with such dignity. If people do not care to know what our flag represents, then I would suggest moving to a country that does not have the kind of patriotism Americans have.
Awesome. I did not know that about the folds of the flag. Thank you for sharing.
Mary Grace – I definitely completely understand what the program was about…and I respect Veteran’s 100%. I know that without them, we would not be free and I would not be living MY life without worry during this hard time for military members, friends and families. I don’t think that people shouldn’t learn about the representations of the flag, and I’m not saying I do not care. It’s just my opinion that God, prayer, and ALL religion for that matter (well, not if you’re going to teach about it) needs to be left out of public schools.
Beautiful post! So blessed to live in a country that was founded by God-loving and God-fearing men. I pray this blessing will return to our country.
Thank you so much for sharing this – I was not aware of the meaning of the folds in the flag. My father was presented with one at his father’s funeral (my grandfather was a WWII vet) and this post has given a whole new meaning to that memory.
I can never figure out why so many people feel that being patriotic and supporting our selfless military must go hand in hand with being Christian and believing in the same kind of God.
Kind of sad that so many are still trying to put that limitation on this wonderful country that ALL of our ancestors fought so hard to be a part of and so many came to to avoid religious prejudice.
Just Sayin’…
Beautiful. And you made me cry. Darn it. Its important to me that what has been done and is being done to protect this country day in and day out is recognized. My husband in currently in Iraq, and this was a blessing.
Wow! What a great post. So moving. I am scared for our Country. We can’t sit around and wait for our freedom to be taken away. We have to stand up and fight and I am ready.
Just because someone may not be a conservative, it does not mean they are not patriotic or wouldn’t be moved by the type of ceremony that you’re talking about. That’s assuming a lot.
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