Today I am grateful that I live in America.
It's election day here in the states. It's not a huge election, like our presidential, primary, or mid-term elections. But, it still is an opportunity to make our own voices heard and be counted.
My parents took me to the Board of Elections when I turned 18 years old. They had set the example for years of how important it was to vote, so off we went. We would do the same thing for our children.
Though not recorded in their journals, my parents would often tell me how rough election day was in their neck of the woods in Kentucky and West Virginia. Going to the polls was quite the risk, for there would be arguing and even shootings.
Mom called those people "right fighters". And, mom and dad would never, ever tell me who they had voted for. They kept those cards close to their chest, for it was personal.
Kerry and I have done the same. Our kids don't even know. Some are sure we voted one way; others are adamant we voted the other way.
We just smile and nod.
Today's world is also a bit tumultous concerning elections. But, Kerry and I recently visited the Women's Rights National Park in Seneca Falls, NY -- and, we both came away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for women and men who put the wheels in motion for women to be able to vote.
So, I am home alone while Mr. Kerry is working as a poll worker. He has done this for many years, and I am proud of him. We have already voted by absentee ballot.
So, though our country is probably the roughest I have ever seen in my life, I wouldn't trade living here for anywhere else. We have been to every state, as well as several countries.
But, America is my home.
I have been to the tops of mountains and into the deepest gorges and caves. I have driven from coast to coast, and flown through the clouds looking over my beloved country.
So, this day is a day that I thank God I was born in this country. And, I hope that America can somehow heal.
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