Proud to be an American

I'm proud today, not proud of myself or my family, but proud of my teenagers. I know their parents also claim them, but I will as well. My teenagers are more mature than I was 16 years ago, and yet people told me I was 15 going on 30. Teenagers have just dealt with more in our world than I had to deal with. But they get it. They know they were raised with the values and morals they were raised with. They know right from wrong. A book, any book, is not going to persuade them to do the wrong thing. It will, however, persuade them to think, to feel, to wonder, to ask questions, to educate themselves. Education is not the enemy; fear is.
I learned that fear is the enemy when I lived in New York City during 9-11. That was a very fearful time - fearful for physical safety, for people we knew, people we didn't, people that saved others, people that tried, for people who know people who didn't make it, for people who knew people who did. Never did I not get on the subway when a threat was made, did I cower in a corner when the alerts went up to Orange, and even Red. Fear is the enemy and it wouldn't take me. I had my faith, hope and trust, and I still do.
We have faith in many aspects of our lives. Faith that they will choose right by what they've learned; faith that we are doing the right things; faith in our God. We have hope. Hope that they will take all things considered when they make a choice. Hope that what we've given them is enough. Hope that they choose correctly. Trust.
Growing up is difficult, but letting go is harder.
A bird will never fly tethered to a limb.