A very good friend, and wise woman, taught me that everyone must have something to look forward to. This little gem has given me a new perspective on life. Without something to look forward to all we have is the grind of everyday life.
I thought about looking forward as I watched the space shuttle Atlantis land this morning. After 30 years it still amazes me that something that big can go straight up into space and then come home land like a an airplane. As a child of the 60's I grew up with the space program and like millions of Americans watched as Apollo 11 landed on the moon. We held our collective breaths every time one of the ships left the launch pad, cleared the hurdles of the mission and re-entry, coming back to earth in a very small capsule in the ocean.
With this backdrop I still vividly remember my feelings of excitement and pride in my country as the first space shuttle took flight. I knew that just as the Apollo 11 mission was the beginning of something amazing, so was this new method of space exploration. We, as a country, had something to look forward to. We were united in enthusiasm and pride.
Today, Atlantis landed with nothing to look forward to. I cried. I cried not just for the space program that means so much to our country but to the city where I live. The Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake City is a gem in Houston's crown. We are space city. Our sports teams have space themed names and our children tour the space center on field trips. The name of our city is one of the first words uttered from the moon. Space, and all that it represents is fundamental to the history and image of Houston, Texas. I'm proud to live here.
What do we as Americans have to look forward to? Everyday when we get up and turn on the news or open a newspaper (do it while you still can) we are bombarded by gloom and doom. Where or where is that tiny light; that glimmer of hope?
I'm looking. I know it is out there somewhere. As we approach the Memorial Day weekend, I pray that this day of remembrance is about more than barbeques, a day off to sleep in, or the race to the best sale. I pray that each and everyone of us stops to give thanks for our troops - particularly those who died in the line of duty. Because of them we continue to be a free people. Say a prayer. Say thank you to a soldier. Find ways to support those who put their lives on the line each and every day so that we have the chance to continue to pursue happiness.
In memorium:
Robert E. Perkins - U.S. Army and John A. Means - U.S.M.C.
Amen. Beautifully said, Sheryl-- thank you for sharing this. How very blessed we are to live in such a country, with such brave souls willing to sacrifice so much so that we can continue to live in freedom. I will keep Memorial Day's meaning at the center of our day, and I will teach my children to do the same. Again, thank you.
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