As we walked up the hill, the sun was at the point of setting and shadows of empty chair lifts stretched across the lawn and families that had gathered on the hill. Nearly everyone was wearing patriotic colors of red, white, and blue. The Utah Symphony warmed up their instruments as we found our own patch of grass on the Deer Valley resort hill. Surrounded by families with their coolers, lawn chairs, and picnics it felt truly American.
Capathia Jenkins was the visiting performer and brought a soul to the event that felt both bluesy and nostalgic. In the middle of the performance, while it was still light outside but the sun had set, the Utah Symphony played the anthems for each of the branches of the military (minus the space force which apparently does not have its own song/anthem yet). The instructions from the conductor were that when a certain anthem was played, if you were a member of that branch, you would stand and be recognized.
One by one each song played. The Air Force. The Army. The Navy. The Coast Guard. And the Marines.
What I felt during these few minutes was a meaningful moment. As each song was played several individuals stood. Young and old, male and female, stood with pride. I felt humbled and honored to be there and for their service. One man probably in his 80’s struggled to stand using his cane. The look on his face communicated pride and humility. Another young woman stood strong and upright with a perfect salute during the duration of her branch’s anthem.
As the moment unfolded, I was near tears thinking about the sacrifices made by these individuals and countless others that afford me the right to live, work, and worship in freedom. I hope the spirit of freedom and independence in me never dies. I am grateful for those that have served before and serve today our country.
My invitation to you today is to actively seek an experience that will expose you to things you do not normally expose yourself to.
My wife and I got these tickets last minute and we almost didn’t go. I’m grateful we did and now I want to be more active and intentional about going places where I can feel that type of special feeling. I will be looking to create more of these moments because of what it did to awake my soul.
