Throughout the day,
every day,
I find myself noticing
American flags
wherever I go.
Each one looks the same
and also very different,
whether they’re whipping
in the winter wind
or flowing lazily in a summer breeze.
This flag not only represents
unity and freedom and lessons learned,
but it also symbolizes home for me.
I’ll never forget the year
I spent the 4th of July in Paris.
I was sitting on a boat with friends,
floating down the glorious Seine River,
when we spotted a small American flag
waving in the sun.
We started softly singing
“America the Beautiful” in unison
and it brought tears to my eyes
as I thought about the fireworks
lighting up the sky
on the other side of the ocean.
It’s wonderful to explore the world,
but there’s no place like home.
