Have you enjoyed watching folks from around the world rave about how amazing the United States is? I sure have. It reminds me of a story Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, shared in Time* magazine, in which he spoke of his love for America and the American spirit. It highlights the treasure we have right here in America.
Blair holds a deep affection for our nation. He captured it well with this touching account of an acquaintance whose parents immigrated to the United States from Europe. They were Jews, and their lives were in danger. They sought refuge in the United States. The father died at an early age, and life was challenging in that new world for the young man who was Blair’s friend and his mother. The son grew up to become wealthy, and he wanted to give his mother the chance to travel around the world. She never did. His mother grew to a good old age and at last passed away. I’ll let Blair pick up the story from here.
“When eventually she died, they went back to recover the safety box where she kept her jewelry. They found there was another box. There was no key. So they had to drill it open. They wondered what precious jewel must be in it. They lifted the lid. There was wrapping and more wrapping and finally an envelope. Intrigued, they opened it. In the envelope were her U.S. citizenship papers. Nothing more. That was the jewel, more precious to her than any other possession. That was what she treasured most. So should America today.”
I agree.
One great thing about all those World Cup fans from around the world is that they remind us how blessed we are in the U.S. Sometimes it takes someone from outside to spot the everyday treasures we hardly see. Many of these visitors come from some of the most developed countries, but they still miss out on things we take for granted. Ranch dressing, anyone?
As we celebrate the 250th birthday of America’s Declaration of Independence, I hope we all take a moment to pause, remember how fortunate we truly are to live here in the United States of America, and cherish the blessings we too often take for granted.
Mark
Dr. Mark Edge
The WorkEdge Company
Telephone: 903-245-7851
Email: workedgetexas@gmail.com
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Author of Holy Chaos. To purchase the book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mark+edge&crid=3B1BM6W3LHOG0&sprefix=%2Caps%2C137&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_2_0_recent
*“Tony Blair on Clinton, Bush and the American Character”, Time, September, 1, 2010. Here is that link: https://time.com/archive/6597586/tony-blair-on-clinton-bush-and-the-american-character/
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