The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League’s (PIHL) Open Cup state championship took place last Thursday. I know, I know. You don’t care about highschool hockey in Pennsylvania. However, something awesome happened at the game.
…The PA announcer apologized for the lack of a national anthem and asked if anyone would like to volunteer. The entire crowd took him up on that offer.
Doesn’t that just give your goosebumps goosebumps? Spontaneous patriotism at its finest.
I celebrated the Oscars myself by going to see Act of Valor for the 2nd time in its first opening weekend. I implore you… if you have not yet seen this movie, do yourself a favor and go see it soon! You will not be sorry. Both screenings I went to gave standing ovations at the end of the film, and in both theaters, sobbing could be heard at certain moments, as well.
Celebrating George Washington’s birthday is an American tradition to honor our first president. Though Presidents’ Day is now the more commonly-used term, and has expanded to include all presidents, the legal term for this federal holiday remains Washington’s Birthday.
We honor President Washington, not because he was flawless; he was not. He was, however, the epitome of self-sacrifice—both as a soldier and a statesman. It was that sacrifice that helped make America what it was destined to become. We honor him because of what he accomplished and the manner in which he approached service to this nation: with a servant’s heart.
I am on record as acknowledging President Washington as my favorite Founder precisely because of that heart. He did not seek power. He accepted it reluctantly. He answered the call, offered himself up in the name of service, and helped to usher in a new day. At a time when he could have remained in office perpetually, as some expected, he chose to return to life as a citizen rather than seek a third term. He fulfilled his destiny, and his legacy is secure.