When I was small, my world how it changed with just a grandma, I took her name she kept me with her both night and day lived in her house, I was there to stay our house seemed so big, I had my own bed a beautiful table where she kept me well fed I didn’t know about a family of three, a mom, a dad, and a little girl… me But gramma had love for a family of ten these things I remember from way back then she let me be spunky, she let me be free I wrote on the walls, she let me be me and her friends became family, helped with their hearts made me one person, from all their parts I became a grownup way too fast, learned things aren’t fair, learned things don’t last but the one thing I take with me day after day is that families are different in so many ways, it’s a mixture of laughs and tears streaming slow teaching you things from your greats long ago when I tuck my children tight in bed, hug them, and kiss them on the top of their head, I will always remember what was placed in my heart, family is love right from the start
I am America. I am a man of a certain age who still believes in God, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, I am a nation whom the rest of the world must look upon to find answers, I am picnic baskets waiting to be filled with simple foods prepared by loving hands. I sit quietly and peacefully down by the lake in anticipation of the warm and beautiful sunny days of summer. I am a glorious early spring morning awaiting those who choose to feel and smell me. I am America. I am a mother surrounded by many angels to ease my pain and suffering, I am Jason, a brave heart, I am a voice who speaks the truth and needs people to lend me their ears, I am ears waiting to hear the truth, I am on a distant path waiting for someone to discover me and let me lead them to a beautiful singing pond with the morning dew lighting the way, I am a land that used to be called “promised”, and I still do promise if you will just hold my hand and together make a stand, I am a father who understands that the love of God and family alone is worth the fight, I sometimes long for yesterday, but look towards the end of a perfect day, I am country music, hamburgers, corn on the cobb, and iced tea, I am down home and I still love my hometown, I am Mother Earth’s heartbeat, companion, and friend, I am the land of the plenty, but also the land of the sad and suffering, I am America. I am a river of love seeking an ocean, I am old, torn, and tattered car tires laying in a field in the shape of a heart with daisies growing around them, I am children laughing and singing silly songs that are dancing in their heads, I am a day like none other filled with hope, opportunity, and boundless love, I am still a melting pot for all of God’s children, and the child in all of us, I have discovered after searching for so far, that I cannot turn back, I am a land with arms wide open waiting to embrace you, I know we can only achieve real peace when we live inside each others’ wounds, I have discovered that after all my searching, I have found a place of my own in the heart of a stranger passing me by, I will not walk with my dirty feet in other peoples’ heads, I will give inner peace a chance, America I am. I am a ship of leaders in the night, not a ship of fools, I am a nation that must begin to replant the seeds of peace, and one by one we shall reap the harvest, singing and shouting the voice of victory, I am Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn, and Tom Sawyer, I am all the countless wonderful cities, towns, and villages spread across this great land waiting to be re-discovered, I am Autism, the door that can unlock the love in your heart, I am Dante, the keeper of the key, I am the land of freedom, hope, and charity, I once was blind but now I see, I am America. I am home. It’s time to wake up and be awesome.
