Leaves of liberty

I stepped outside this evening and felt the brisk coolness of the nocturnal November breeze. Gazing around, the symbolism of the evening suddenly struck me

The kaleidoscopic colors of the leaves on the ground represented change. The living timbers were casting off the dying leaves to make way for new life. After the new year, new leaves will appear, helping the trees to breath and, with each dew and rain, quench the thirsty branches and provide shade.

I took a deep breath of the cool air and smiled. Through the chill I released a sigh of relief. For the first time since the election, I actually understood that this country had a new lease on life. We were casting off the old to make room for the new. The roots of our democracy would be nourished by the checks and balances that were designed to make this country breath the air of freedom.

Freedom is not a byproduct of conquest, it is something precious that was paid for by the sweat and blood of our forefathers during the War for Independence. Freedom is a notion that blossomed into a reality by the strength of conviction demonstrated by men like Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Freedom is a basic right that can only be protected by vigilance at home. It is not the despots of foreign enemies who will end up taking away our freedoms, our demise will come from the inside. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Only Americans can hurt America." Like the trees that I gazed upon on this November twilight, a hollow trunk will never stand as long or strong as a living, breathing entity of wood.

Hope now abounds in people who only weeks ago were fret with anguish over the possibility of two more years of singular rule. Now we feel pride and thanks for the wisdom of the men who forged this country with the proper tools of government.

May the leaves of liberty continue to change as the season dictates. They will shade us well and protect us as long as we keep the roots strong.