When I was a little girl my dad was as big and strong as a skyscraper!
I wasn't afraid of anything when in the presence of my dad.
To me he was a giant with big strong muscles and a big soft heart.
I slept soundly in my little bed at night unafraid of the monster hiding below because I knew my dad was in the next room.
That is how it was with me and my dad. I knew he had my back and he knew I had his. Somethings are unspoken and as solid as steel.

Later there came a time when I began to grow. I don't know exactly the moment I realized it but I could look my dad in the eye. It was an unsettling feeling. Because I didn't feel very big and strong. I certainly didn't feel like a skyscraper. But there was my hero standing before me. We were the same size.

Many years passed since I was that little girl. I had long ago grown used to the fact that my father was just a man. He was still my hero of course but in the grand scheme of life, he wasn't a superhero or a skyscraper. Just a good decent man with big strong muscles and a big warm heart. That was enough for me.

And then the day came when I noticed the stoop in his walk.
I noticed the grimace when he stood. The slightly tilted walk.
I noticed that he wasn't quite as quick as he had once been. Life had been hard work for him. He had always met each challenge and I was raised well in a loving home. But oh those years, they can really take a toll.

As I watched my father in his decline, my heart ached. I was proud of him and who he was but also there was this longing. A longing for a time when he would take me to the store for a new doll. A time when he would sit up late watching old movies with me and telling me about all his heros.
I missed having a giant in my life. I missed the security.

And then the day came when I realized that I must be his hero.
I must look out for him. I would have to be the strong one. It was a little disconcerting. But I mangaged to do it. And I still had his back, and he still had mine. Some things are made in steel to last forever.

My dad is gone now and I miss him. There are no words adequate to explain so I will just leave it at that. I loved my dad.

I remember when I was a little girl and I thought that American was as big as a universe. She was solid. She was beautiful. She was home.
She would always have my back and I would always have hers. Some things are made of steel to never come apart. That was my America.

Today I feel like the daughter of an Elderly country.
She has fought the hard fights. Worked hard. Reached out in generosity to the rest of the world. And the battles she has fought are beginning to show. It isn't so much her body that is broken. I am afraid it is her inner spirit.
When I stand up now I stand eye to eye with my country and it makes me feel a little insecure. I don't want to see my country fade away. I want her to be strong. I want her to be proud. I want her to be brave.

What I want is for those who hold the reins to see what they are doing to my country. I long for the American of my childhood. I long for the days when my country was as big as the universe. I am not ready to let that perception go.

I guess it is my turn now to take care of her. She needs good citizens to stand up for her. Fight for her. Protect her honor. Speak lovingly of her.
She always had my back and now it is my turn to have her back.
Some things are made of steel never to be broken apart.

I don't want to have to long for my country. There are no adequate words. So I will just leave it at that. I love my country.