Integrity at Any Price

There is something about a flag waving in the wind that always kind of gets to me. Whether it is the red, white and blue fabric sauntering in the gentle breeze of autumn or being flung about in the ferocious gusts of winter, whenever I see the stars and stripes, it causes me to pause and give thanks, even if only for a moment, for the freedom the flag represents and for those who have fought to win that precious freedom. If one flag waving in the wind can bring me such emotion, you can only imagine what it does to my heart when I saw more than 750 flags on a grassy hill next to the interstate as I drove into work yesterday morning. You see, each year, a group of Boy Scouts places the flags on the hill to commemorate Veterans Day, and it's a truly moving display ... a display of freedom, a display of respect, a display of honor, and a display of integrity.

A few years ago, my daughter and I drove from Kansas City to Nashville to attend a send-off ceremony for my nephew who was being deployed to Iraq. I had never been to a military commissioning event, so I had no idea what to expect. As the dignitaries who were the scheduled speakers gathered at the front of the large room, I realized that this was a pretty huge deal ... there were some big names there, including the governor of Tennessee. But it wasn't until the soldiers came marching in that the lump formed in my throat and the tears filled my eyes. I can't begin to tell you how powerful it was to watch those men and women file in, stand at attention, salute, remove their hats and sit in perfect unison. In fact, the entire ceremony was powerful, and there were plenty of tears when the service ended and we had to say our goodbyes to my nephew. On my drive back to KC, I remember praying for Charlie's safety while he was away, and thanking God for soldiers like him who live their lives defending the freedom that I so very often take for granted.

Charlie spent over a year in Iraq, and we were all very grateful when he returned home safe and sound. He is my sister's only son, and I've written about him before. He truly is a man of honor and courage and integrity, and I have a great deal of respect for him on many levels. I don't know if he remembers it or not, but once when I was visiting Chattanooga, he and I had a lengthy conversation one night about what is really important in life. I will forever remember one statement he made that evening concerning his granddad, my daddy. "Granddad taught me about integrity, Terrie ... he taught me what it means to be willing to sacrifice all you have to be a man of character and integrity." Trust me, Charlie ... you learned Daddy's lesson well, young man ... you learned it well.

I don't think it was coincidence that the song that was playing on my iPod this morning as I drove past the flags on the side of the highway talks about honor and integrity and living by example. I know that not all soldiers live by that code of conduct, but I know at least one who does. Thank you, Charlie, for being the man you are ... and thank you to all the men and women who love this country enough to keep it free. God bless you, and God bless America. 

"You see, life cannot be measured by
The place you live, the car you drive
The thing that counts the day you die
Is who you are, and what's inside
So tell the truth, don't ever lie
Integrity at any price
Your word's your bond, your highest prize
So guard it close, and live your life
So many things, I learned from you
'Bout life and love and play,
But I learned more by how you lived
Than what I heard you say."