An American Girl

Even though I am a Regency Historical and fantasy author, and therefore all my books take place in either Regency England or a new world patterned after Medieval England, I am an American through and through.

I love my country. I get chill bumps and sometimes teary-eyed when we sing the National Anthem. The country song, "I'm Proud to Be an American" makes me cry every time. My father and one of my brother served in the armed forces, and so do two of my brothers-in-law.

There are moments, however, when I feel particularly struck by feelings of love and pride in my country. Yesterday was one such day. When I was driving home on the freeway, I drove past a car dealership with an enormous flag. It can be seen for miles around, not just because of it's super tall flag pole, but because of the size of the flag itself.

That flag waved slowly, gracefully, in majestic glory, and my chest swelled with pride. I got that little tickly sting I get in my nose when I'm about to tear up. At that moment, I had to count my blessings.

Yeah, life is hard. Especially right now. The economic down-turn has affected my family in a profound way. But at that moment, I was so grateful for the blessing of living in a free country where I don't have to worry about the government taking away my children; where it's socially acceptable and legal for me to show my face in public; where my daughters, as well as my sons, can go to school and get an education; where I can enjoy freedom of religion.

God bless America.