Happy Easter, American Patriots!

By Semperpapa

Easter has been always a purely religious time for me as I was growing up in Italy, where most of the population was Catholic.
The religious protocols were clearly defines and adhered to by all.
I can remember going into my church on Good Friday and seeing all religious images being covered by dark purple shrouds, signifying the mourning of the entire faith for the death of Christ.
As a child, I can still remember the feelings of annoyance as my parents would "drag"me to functions throughout Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but as I got older, I found myself understanding more and more the significance of those long hours in church, the importance of the symbolism the Passion of Christ really meant for me and what it should mean for mankind.
And with the little maturity that came with my teenage years came the desire to go to those somber functions on my own.

Also imprinted in my memories are the Midnight Masses I attended, when at the stroke of midnight on Easter Sunday, the lights would come on in the church, all the shrouds would be removed and the church organ would explode in exultation for the Resurrection.

Today, Easter remains a mostly religious affair for me, and in many respects, it has become an even greater spiritual experience.
Being a little bit more mature than I was as a teenager, having had the great experience of marriage and fatherhood, and looking at my country involved in two wars, the image of sacrifice that I see in Jesus Christ, has shed a much clearer picture of what life really means to me.

Life is not the car I drive, the motorcycle I ride, the home I live in. Life is not the career, the paycheck or the corner office. Life is not money or power or prestige.

What life really is to me is having a companion for life as dedicated as my wife, who always puts her own personal interests second to the those of her family.
Life for me is seeing my daughter growing up to be the exemplary person she is, and embarking on her life with her husband in the most ethical and spiritual way.
Life is seeing my son, making his choices with conviction, flanked by his wife in the hard life that is the Military life.
And life for me is my grandchildren, my grandson already here, the one on the way and those I know will come in the future, true testimony of the legacy we all hope to leave in this world.

And finally, my life means a lot more today than it ever did, as my knowledge of history has grown. The realization of the sacrifices the American Military has made over the past 234 years to insure that people like me, late comer and an immigrant, have the opportunity to build a life like the one I was able to build.

I find no truer statement than this: Jesus Christ died for my soul, the American Veteran died for my freedom!
If you think about it, it is very humbling to know that someone was willing to die for you without even knowing you, so my life goal has become to make sure I am deserving of such sacrifice.

Happy Easter, American Patriots

Just my thoughts!