Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
—Psalm 33:12
I
was 13 years old when I was selected to raise and lower the
flag every day at the private school I attended.
Jane
was my partner. She and I learned flag etiquette and the proper way to fold the
U. S. flag, twice length-wise, followed by triangular folds, starting with the
striped edge and ending with the stars.
I
remember how I felt when I held the flag, careful not to let it drop, and when
I folded it, trying to perfectly align the ends as neatly as I could.
Privileged. Special. But more than that. It was something I felt with my heart.
Reverence and respect. For my flag. My country. A holy moment.
But
after 40+ years, there are some things I don’t remember, like the meaning
behind each of the thirteen folds.