Send in the Clowns
After dance this morning at the church, I took my kids to the Veteran's Day Parade. We sat on the lawn on a gorgeous fall day, right under a brilliant golden oak tree. As we sat, marching bands passed, men and women waved American flags and children dressed in fatigues marched, yelling out left, left, left, right left. I have mixed emotions when I attend something patriotic like this. My heart goes out to those who have lost someone in a war, to those who are still serving in frightening situations away from their families and to those who still suffer from the affects of being in a war. I struggle inside when I see ten-year olds carrying guns and marching down the street, while parade-goers applaud. I breathe it all in, ask that Big Love inside of me to take whatever judgement I have from me and help me to embrace what is right before me in the moment.
We stayed for a while and as we rose, I asked my kids how they were feeling. We walked and they both shrugged their shoulders in the "I'm okay" response. Then my daughter looked up at me and asked, "Mom, why weren't there any clowns there? There are always clowns at parades."
Did you see my husband and the Veteran Powered Bike entry? He kind of looked like a clown-he was on a very large wheeled bike with an Uncle Sam outfit-his hat was gigantic! There were some other funky bikes as well.
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Lizzie is observant. Most parades have an element of laughter and happiness--clowns, dogs dressed in costumes, kids throwing candy out to the crowd, but a Veterans Day Parade is a different kind of parade. It is meant to honor those who gave their lives or suffered greatly so we can be free. There still can be smiles as loved one are remembered or if we just look at the proud faces of those who fought and march. But Veterans Day and all that it stands for is complicated. Young children with guns is unjustifiable! So are many other things. When watching a Veterans Day Parade, most of those we honor are not marching to be seen by us. We won't find them if we look at the pavement. We have to look upward toward the sky, and if we are lucky and have a good imagination, we will see lots of angels with beautiful wings looking down and watching the parade, too, thanking us for coming to honor them.
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