A Daisy Garden

I’ve heard it said many times…  “You don’t appreciate something until you don’t have it anymore.”

like…

…you don’t appreciate good health until you no longer have it.

…you don’t truly appreciate a loved one until they’re gone.

Today is a special day.  Independence Day.  The fourth of July.

…and that old saying comes to mind.

For those who have been born here and have never lived
under an oppressive government,
it’s easy to take our American freedom for granted.

The freedom to say, do, go, think, plan, study, buy, eat, whatever you want
is something we don’t even think about.  It is the way of life here.

It seems hard to believe that there are countries where you cannot speak freely,
you cannot visit anyone you like,
you can’t travel wherever/whenever you like,
you can’t study what interests you,
you can’t plan to have a birthday party or dinner party,
you can’t just buy something you really like,
you can’t own your own business,
You can’t kill one of your own chickens/hogs/cattle,
You can’t own your own land,
All mail is read before you receive it.
“Courts of law” are just a group of local government sympathizers
You live in a constant state of not knowing what can happen
to you or your loved ones from one day
to the next.
It is the way of life there.

No freedom.  Only oppression.  Persecution.

Now, when someone who has lived for years in a regime like that,
arrives in the USA…
words cannot describe what they feel.

It’s as if someone who was born in a prison, with no hope of ever getting out,
was given their freedom.

They can now dream, hope, plan, work, live
in a very different world.

For those who have not had this experience
it is almost impossible to know what it feels like.
Don’t even try to tell them that America is messed up.
Don’t talk about how bad things are here and how wonderful
everywhere else is.
They know it isn’t perfect here, but…
they remember what life was like where they came from.
They are like the grateful children who have been adopted,
and they know their adoptive parents
are good people who have taken care of them and raised them
to think for themselves, work hard, dream, fly.
These are the kids that know their parents aren’t perfect,
but they appreciate them and all they have given them.

They are proud to be Americans now.
They love this country.
Some of them have been part of the US military for most of their lives.
They are proud to serve and fight to preserve those freedoms
they once lived without.

They know what we celebrate on the 4th of July every year since 1776.

This is a special day to them.

And every year they remember.

Happy Independence Day, everybody!

Daisy

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