Veteran's Day 2012.

It's moments like this, right after a frustrating election, that give me hope for the future.

I don't know how many schools around the country have a Veteran's Day program, but we do every year.  It's the one program a year that I can guarantee tears on my part.  

The kids sang beautifully and spoke their parts with dignity.  The innocence in children's voices is a force to be reckoned with.  I turn into a blubbering sucker every time.  

Every armed force has a song and every time the kids sang one, the veterans in the room stood, saluted, and sat down.  I watched them as their lips moved, quietly singing along.  I thought a lot about their camaraderie, their sacrifice, and what memories are conjured from those songs.  Extreme circumstances leave imprints on a soul and there's bound to be an unspoken loyalty among those who've served our country in a time of war.

There is a definite spirit that accompanies patriotism, a very real and tangible feeling.  Without fail, I'm moved to tears just thinking about it.  I love my country. I revere my country.

(I think one of the things that bugs me about President Obama is that I never sense this great love of country.  He seems to be more of a politician than a statesmen.  He focuses on issues rather than principles.  That being said, I'm still praying for the guy.)

Watching these kids gives me hope about the future.  They're being raised in a small community that promotes goodness, integrity, faith, patriotism, and hard work.  I guess you could say it's a breeding ground for true statesmenship :).

I'm glad I was there to feel it all, to remember, and to be grateful.  (And to catch Lincoln scratching his cheek...or, um, picking his nose...I'm leaning towards the later.)