DAY FOUR

I am thankful for the right to vote.

Let me just start by saying that I am not heavily involved in politics. Politically, I follow what is important to me, however I am easily turned away by extremists and too much "He said, she said." But I do care and I want my voice to be heard. Period.

I remember when I was a little girl, my dad took me with him to vote one day before school. I believe it was the 1992 election when Bush and Clinton went head to head. It was very early in the morning and my dad's polling location at the time was at a bank. I vividly remember seeing all the cups of hot coffee people enjoyed while they were in line. The line was extremely long and I was in a panic at the thought that I was going to be late for school. The adults in line however, were calmly sipping their coffee and making small talk. I remember thinking, "Geez, aren't these people worried about getting to work?" I imagine many of the people I saw in line that day were not worried too much about work, or getting to their desk at exactly 8 am on election day because we live in a country where voting is not only valued, but encouraged. They probably knew that their office understood the concept of civic responsibility and not only encouraged it, but also fostered involvement through office flexibility on election day. What a blessing!

It amazes me that less than 100 years ago, women couldn't vote. I often forget what a blessing it is that we live in a time when not only can we vote, but we are ruled by a democracy. Not everyone is so fortunate. I am so grateful that we live in a country where we have the right to be heard. When I think of the oppression and suffering many others endure simply to practice their faith and exercise God-given rights, I am overcome with gratefulness. I am so thankful to be a U.S. Citizen. I am thankful for our country's leaders. And I am thankful that we still have a say in who those leaders are. Things may not always go my way on election day, but I am thankful that my one, measly little vote in Tulsa, Oklahoma is counted.

Pearce was only a few months old during the 2008 elections. Knowing that the 2008 election would probably be ground-breaking, I decided to take Pearce with me to the polls. It's never too soon to teach civic responsibility, is it?! The little monkey rode in my baby sling as we cast our ever-important vote. The cutie even got a sticker!

Lord, thank you for the favor you have shown our Country. Thank you for creating us equal and for the people who came before us to fight so we can be heard today. Thank you for the freedom we have today.

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