Any little Memorial Day weekend road trips planned?

As soon as we roust the kids from bed, we're off to our cottage in New Hampshire. It's on a small lake, and I haven't been there since February. I hear the bass fishermen are already out in force.

We have Internet hookup up there in the woods, so I'll chat from there, but I wanted to share an excerpt from "Ribbons of Highway" that I think is appropriate for this Memorial Day as we honor and pray for those who've put themselves in harm's way on our behalf and continue to do so.

As most of you know, September 11 was the impetus for the 12,000-mile road trip I'd come to write about in "Ribbons," and terrorism, its aftermath, and the strength of our people both in and out of uniform were with us every mile:
---


We passed the cellphone around and called all the people to whom the words, “We’re in Massachusetts!” would mean something. Now they waited for us, while we rolled the final miles down the turnpike, which felt like a long, green exit ramp to home.

But we’d really been home all along. Our whole journey had been a 12,000-mile discovery of home.


Somewhere out west, Dana had asked, “Sometimes you hear people are different. Then you hear we’re all the same. Which is right?”

Both. We have different ethnicities and backgrounds, different ways of making a living, different geographies and climates, different pastimes, different religions and traditions.

But we’re also the same. We love our families and communities. We love our part of the country, but we respect the rest of it. We work hard. We’re independent. We cherish our freedom. We speak our minds. And, judging by the flags, patriotic symbols, and messages of hope and support that we saw everywhere across the land – on ranches and gas stations, logging trucks and billboards, fishing boats and bumper stickers, churches and diners – we share a love for this nation.

America exceeded my expectations. No part of it failed me or left me empty. It’s a quilt of small, fascinating pieces that give great comfort when sewn together. A kaleidoscope of beautiful shapes and colors that amaze when blended.

On any journey, whether short, long, or lasting whole relationships or lifetimes, you can usually find what you set out to discover. You choose what to look for, what to focus on, what to celebrate. I went on this trip looking for good things, and found great ones.

----
Peace.