America the Beautiful

Today I've been a little under the weather. I watched some conference and then I started flipping channels for a good movie. I stumbled onto "Not Without My Daughter". Boy, that movie moves me every time. I cried numerous times throughout as this mother fought to save her daughter over and over again from freedoms and liberties she would have lost had she not risked her life to return to America. The sound of the flag waving in the wind at the end of this film causes me to shudder and feel intense gratitude to live in such a beautiful country.

Right before the last 15 minutes of the movie, I had to drive Lindsay to a birthday party. I recorded the last part so I could finish my crying when I got home. After I walked in, I found Mallory on the couch reading her book. I told her I had to finish the movie. She asked for some background so I gave a brief synopsis and from watching this story, encouraged her to greater appreciate every day being an American! "You should wonder how you got so lucky to be born in a country where you have so many opportunities and freedoms. Don't take it for granted!" I pleaded. She was emotional at the end...but having not watched the whole movie, the effect was limited by my narrative.

Then, to make matters worse, I started flipping channels again to catch the last 15 minutes of "Life is Beautiful". Why don't they show this movie to teenagers in school? This is the part where the tanks are rolling thru the camps and the prisoners have all been released. They are walking, somewhat aimlessly, thin and frail in their striped uniforms, out of the stone prison they had been tortured in for so long. The little boy then pops out of his "hiding place" where he'd been after his father was captured and shot. It is empty until a lone tank pulls up and encourages him to climb on for a ride. The boy, so excited, climbs up and enjoys every moment. Then he see's his mother. "Mama....mama....mama. We won...just like Daddy said."

At this point, Mallory can't breathe, we're pulling tissues out like crazy, and without words being spoken, there was much love and gratitude in that room between us. Gratitude for our life. Gratitude for togetherness. Gratitude for family. Gratitude for a home. Gratitude for love. Gratitude for freedom. Gratitude for peace.

Even with the Bail Out, America is Beautiful. And so is the love between mother and child.