Can we talk?

The Patriotic Generations

         Visit any nursing home and you'll find a patriotic crowd. So many served or had close family members who did. They recall the sacrifices and the duty. Many have stories to tell.

         I have some friends who go to sing at the nursing home twice a month. They report on a gentleman who slumps in his wheelchair and doesn't participate in anything. When they start singing any patriotic song or hymn or a series of them, he sits with perfect posture and salutes the entire time. He looks sharp and alert. The seniors haven't lost zeal for their country.

         My brother worked in a senior home for a while. One of the goals there is to get them to socialize instead of withdrawing. He would ask the men about their service, where they served and when. The men would start talking to a spellbound listener and would tell unimaginable tales. The things they lived through and survived were astounding. Now as old men, their strength and heroism is unknown and unsung.

         All the children in my family can say the Pledge of Allegiance at age two and beyond. We're teaching them the songs. We want them to grow up with that same sense of patriotism that seems missing from society at large today.