The Flag Garden

This afternoon, I took the kids to a plaza in the nearby town of Pepperell . . . 

. . . where someone had planted a flag garden for Memorial Day.  When we came around the bend, the kids were amazed to see . . . 

. . . 7008 flags in the lawn around that little plaza.

There is one for every member of our military who has died in the Global War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001.

It was a sweet yet sobering experience to walk through the plaza with my children, talking about the yellow ribbons that represent support for our troops.  I told them about seeing yellow ribbons when I was Joy's age during the first Gulf War, and how those ribbons have become a powerful statement that, whether we agree with a war or not, we will always support the troops who serve and sacrifice for our country.  I didn't expect to get choked up as I told them that . . . but I did.

We also talked about the tradition of leaving a coin on a gravestone or memorial marker, to show that you knew the person, or simply that you value their service.  We didn't personally know anyone whose name was carved into the bricks of the plaza, so we left a coin on the 9/11 stone.

I'm grateful to those who have died to protect our country and preserve our freedom.  I hope we'll always do our small part to stand up for our own liberty and that of others.