We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. --William Faulkner
Today, oh today! we had amazing sunshine. We went to church. We went to the tulip fields. We spent the afternoon with grandparents and took a walk to the park.
We went to Winco and got bagels, which we promptly ate for dinner.
We read stories. Surfed the Internet.
It was a regular all-American day.
From the church service, to the walk through a neighborhood, to wandering down the aisles of a grocery store stocked with food -- it happens so easily I often take it for granted.
But when I saw the news on Facebook--saw Marilyn's status update saying bin Laden had been killed--I was reminded of a day almost ten years ago when I felt like my freedom and liberties had been threatened. That day I felt fear. I felt sadness. Anger.
It's been years and years since I first heard the name of the man who wanted to bring down America, and tonight I heard it in the context of the American government finally getting their man.
The capture of one man doesn't really make a big difference in my daily life. At this point, I think bin Laden's capture is more symbolic than anything. His capture does, however, remind me that my daily life is what it is because there are people out there doing very dangerous things.
I don't do dangerous things. I take pictures of kids in tulip fields.
I spent my day doing regular, ordinary, beautiful things.
And at the end of the day, I heard my neighbor setting off celebratory fireworks.
In a few minutes, I'll head off to bed and sleep just as well as I did last night (which was pretty well, all things considered).
Today I practiced freedom.
Tomorrow I will too.
