I'm an American Weenie

My father never fought for his country in the military. (He had lost an eye when he was a young man.)

I had several uncles on both sides of our family who were in the military, but none I was close to.

I was raised in the era of "Make Love not War".

I remember the LIFE magazine article that had a picture of every single person that had been killed in the Vietnam War, and I remember feeling something in my soul like I had been hit in the gut....and I was just a teenager.

When I grew up, I continued to see the horrors of war, of fighting. Heck, I wouldn't even let my oldest son play football for fear he'd get hurt.

When Chris joined the Air Force...I felt like I had been hit in the gut again. I prayed that my son wouldn't go to war, because of the fear he'd die. I didn't want his picture in a magazine article, making him a number and not a name. Thankfully, God answered my prayers and my son finished his military service in the National Guard with a maturity that goes along with learning how important freedom is.

And even now...as when I was a young girl... when I hear the Star Spangled Banner, God Bless America or even Elvis Presley's "American Trilogy"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moUifEmOcbU ... I cry---and I feel that ache deep in my soul.

I love my country. I love the fact that God chose me to live in this country. A country of freedom...a country of choices...and a country of patriots.

I'm an American Weenie. And tomorrow at church, I'll be the first one sobbing in my Kleenex when the names and faces flash on the screens of those who gave all for their country. And I thank God I am an American...weenie and all.