Flags are flying everywhere in preparation for Memorial Day.

New ones,

old ones,

little ones,

absolutely huge ones..

I still get a chill when I see those stars and stripes, just as I did when I was young.  Growing up overseas meant I didn’t see the American flag often, and when I did she was almost always “on duty..”

atop an embassy

off a warship’s stern

at a checkpoint

or the entrance to a military installation..

not at the mall

or hardware store

or local car dealership.

But hey, Old Glory can go from business to casual

from front lines to home front

without wrinkling a stripe

or crinkling a star.

She is fun and freedom

but she can be fierce.

She is the visual representation of

our highest ideals

and a reminder of the sacrifices made to preserve them.