The flag.

It's Spring. And with every Spring I take it upon myself to perform a very simple task. A pretty mundane task to be sure. It only takes a few minutes to accomplish and I'm certain few even notice the results. This Winter in Pennsylvania was pretty mild again this year. Not as mild as last year's but still relatively mild. There was only one day that it was necessary to use the snow blower. Still, the wind blew and ice formed on more than one occasion taking it's toll upon Old Glory posted near our front door. The blue Union was faded and more than one row of stripes were torn and ripped. With near 70 degree temperatures, it was time for the annual changing of the flag. You don't realize how dull the colors become till you replace the flag, then it becomes quite apparent. Maybe a few people will notice.

I've always flown the flag on important days such as Independence Day, Memorial Day and the like. But it wasn't until September 11, 2001 that I flew the flag every day. And it has adorned my home every day since that fateful day. On that day I flew it as a sign as unity, defiance and national pride. I still fly it for those same reasons along a few others. It was almost impossible to find a home that didn't display a flag back then. It may have been a large one hung from a pole or a simple one on a stick stuck in a flower pot. Some just displayed the simple cardboard one in their front window that our local newspaper gave away. But as time passed, the flags became faded, worn and tattered. They were eventually taken down but sadly, not many were replaced. I'm not suggesting those neighbors of mine didn't care anymore or that they weren't sympathetic to the tragedy of September 11th. Nor am I suggesting they forgot those who died that day. I know they supported the troops who fought to rout the Taliban and Al Quida from Afghanistan. And whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, they were proud of our military personnel. But for whatever reasons, the display of flags never returned in the numbers they had been. Maybe people figured they were moving on. Maybe they just thought it was okay to let it go or that they had healed sufficiently. I don't know.

I'm not suggesting that I am somehow a better or more patriotic American or person in general than those who didn't display the flag anymore. After all, it's the simplest of gestures one can make. It's not like I volunteered to join the Army or anything. I certainly didn't storm the Helmand province of Afghanistan or rescue a comrade while liberating Fallujah. But I am proud to pay homage to those who did - along with all those who make the sacrifice to defend us every day. And I fly it to honor those who sacrificed what Lincoln called; "the last full measure of devotion". 

Yes, it's more than a combination of colors and geometric shapes that make up our flag. It's been raised at Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima and the Sea of Tranquility on the lunar surface. And perhaps just as importantly, my front door. Maybe yours as well. It's not a decoration or appendage to the house. It stands on it's own. It always has. All I know is it looks majestic even beautiful as it catches a light breeze and slowly floats on the current of air - almost alive. And perhaps it is.