Thus Be it Ever When Free Men Shall Stand

Dear Reader,

Today I'm feeling patriotic, but not because of any huge holiday or celebration. Today I experienced a little thing that made me proud to be a citizen of the United States of America: listening to the National Anthem on the Campus of Brigham Young University.

This twice daily occurrence is something that I believe should be done at every appropriate opportunity. You see, at BYU there is an American flag outside the administration building that is put up every morning and taken down every evening whilst the "Star-Spangled Banner" is played over loud-speakers across the entire campus. I have walked across campus several times during the evening when they take down the flag, giving me the chance to stop and think about the meaning of our flag.

It is rare that I am ever on campus early enough to hear the National Anthem while it is put up, but this morning was different. Whilst running around campus making food deliveries (I started work at 5:45), the regular morning ceremony started and I stopped like I always do and took off my hat to salute the flag. I noticed that several people around the quad had also stopped. It moved me that the amount of respect people have in life is amazing. It was nice this morning to ponder on what it means to live in our country and enjoy the blessings that God has given us.

Take some time today to look at the flag and remember what is stands for.

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