The Star Spangled Banner

I took Bracken and Chandra to the Livestock Parade yesterday. It’s Bracken’s favorite parade: full of dogs, horses, mules, and sheep. Long before the beginning of the parade reached us, Bracken looked down the street and saw a girl on a horse carrying the United States Flag. Bracken jumped up, pointed, and said, “Look! It’s the Star Spangled Banner! Mom, stand up and put your hand on your heart.” We stood for several minutes until it reached us and then passed.

Shaylee joined us a few minutes later. Bracken made sure he pointed out every flag to her. “That’s the flag of the United States, Shaylee. It’s a very special flag.” He wanted us to stand and put our hand on our hearts for every single flag. Since almost every car had a flag, we stood for a lot of the parade. (Does anyone know when you should stand for a flag in the parade? Is it just the first time when they present the flag, or every time a flag goes by?)

I taught Bracken about our flag one day this summer, and ever since then he points out every American flag he sees and then either asks me to sing the National Anthem, or sings it himself. He knows the story behind Francis Scott Key writing the National Anthem and after he sings “gave proof through the night that our flag was still there” he usually pauses and says, “They were so happy because their flag was still waving!” I’m glad Bracken recognizes that our flag is special and want him to have that love and respect for our Country.