We took a drive through the country today, loosely following some of the path of the April 27th tornado, ending our rambling path in downtown Ringgold. One country church featured a sign I felt was a kind of summary, perhaps an appropriate testimony of the feeling around here. “In God we still trust.” A few miles further down the road, closer in to town, a simple red brick Baptist church featured another sign stating “Under the same management for 2000 years.”

Every year on Memorial Day weekend, for 36 years, Ringgold has hosted 1890’s Days. For weeks before, volunteers put up flags all over town, covering the courthouse lawn, lining the roads. Each flag is mounted in a cross bearing the name of a county veteran who died serving his country. Nashville Street is closed the Saturday before Memorial Day, and vendors line the streets, stalls selling crafts, foods of every kind, face painting for the children – something for every age. There is of course a parade featuring local politicians, fire trucks, the high school band, tractors, convertibles bearing pretty girls, veterans in uniform, the the high school ROTC, the boy scouts, and pretty much anyone else who wants to be in the parade. In the evening, fireworks finish the day off.

This year, I was not too surprised to see preparations for the flags start in early May. First you see the aluminum poles laid out all over town. Then you start to see the crosses mounted in the ground. After several weeks, you start to see the flags flying in the breeze. By Memorial Day, the entire town is a patriotic dedication to those who are most remembered and honored on this last Monday in May. After all, should we let a tornado stop us from honoring those who gave their lives for us? I felt pretty sure this would just be more reason for honoring those fallen men and women. I was surprised when I saw the billboards go up advertising 1890’s Days. I checked out the local paper’s web site, and sure enough, the festival would go on, a few weeks after so much of the town was destroyed.

This is America, her cells, the blood that nourishes her, these towns, these people. This is what makes us strong, this is what makes us who we are. We are only one small representation of what makes this country free, strong, the heart and soul of the free world. Americans find not only the strength and will to get back up, brush off, rebuild. We find the joy, we find the reason to celebrate, to continue our traditions.

Most of us gather here because of a concern we share for what has been happening on the political front, a need to do what we can to right the direction we find our country headed in. Pause today to remember those small things that we may not even notice. These typically American celebrations reflect the reason we will prevail. Most Americans still carry that love of God and country in our hearts, and we will keep doing all we can to keep this country strong and free.