Independence

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again."

-Ronald Reagan

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into Barnes & Noble with Match while she bought Biggie a gift and I found a book on the sale table called, The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan, so I had her buy it for me. And I can't stop reading it.

Ronald Reagan was a wise man. 

Today is a day to celebrate independence.

Freedom.

The men and women who fight for and defend it each and every day are heroes. 

I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to them.

I can say "thank you" and "I appreciate your service," but those words do not even come close to expressing how I feel when I see a veteran standing out of a wheelchair to salute the flag.

When I see a young widow receive the flag that draped her husband's coffin.

When I watch a video of surprise homecomings.

When I stood on the steps of the court in the city I work in and watched the vans carrying the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots to Maricopa County.

We think we know the risks that these folks face in order to keep us safe, but it isn't until we face a tragedy of the magnitude Arizona faced on Sunday, June 30, that we fully understand those risks. And the sacrifices that people are willing to make on our behalf.

I am proud to be an American.

I hope that I exemplify that every day.

I am proud to be an Arizonan.

I am forever indebted to those who serve on every level for the liberties that I enjoy on a daily basis.

God Bless America and her people. Give us the strength we need to get through these tough times.