Dear America

Dear America,

First, I want to say I love you, America! I love the people that make you America, every race and color, the rich and poor, the men, the women, the children, and the unborn. I love all of it. The mountains and valleys, the oceans, the farmland, the desert, the sunsets, the sunrises, and all of it in between. Since I have been born I have never wanted to live anywhere else.

As a mom of six kids, I want to share some perspective on what I see about this time you were created for, America. You are a mother to many. You are rooted in freedom and independence and you have been a land of opportunity from the time you were discovered. Other than those who are privileged to call themselves Native Americans, everyone else has come as immigrants and explorers (and some as prisoners) at one point in history or another. We have all come from everywhere and ended up finding a home in your great and welcoming arms, and we all have a heritage to share. We, as your citizens, America, are now one big family that needs to be cared for. So, whether we voted for Trump or against Trump, whether we are happy with where our nation is going or unhappy, we can all agree, America, that you are our home, and you and the people in you need to be cared for.

America, you have spent so much time caring for the world that you have not invested enough in caring for yourself. As a mom of 6 kids, I understand that. I have to feed and clothe 8 people in my family. I care very much about my neighbors and my community and I care about those less fortunate than I all over the world. In fact, a portion of the business that I co-own goes to help missions like these. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I love people of all kinds with no prejudice to their situation. But, as a mom, I know that my first responsibility is to my children and my husband. If I feed the neighbor children before I feed my own I would not be living as a mother should, providing for the needs of her children first.

I have had the opportunity with my husband to open our house to many people. We have had people stay on our couches and in our bedrooms. But if I allowed someone in my house that had the potential of hurting my children I would not doing my duty as a mom. My responsibilities are first to protect my own kids.

If I took out credit card lines to help feed my neighbors that would be stupid of me because I would be leaving my own children an inheritance of debt. A good parent leaves a good inheritance for their children.

Someday, I have a dream of being able to foster kids. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I know right now my priority is to teach and raise my own children well and give them a good foundation so they can help others around them and not be a burden to society. And even if I did adopt or foster my house would be limited. I can’t take in all 1200 of the children in our county needing care even though I want to. I want to wrap my arms around them and love them unconditionally. But I could only take a few before my home would be overloaded. And America, you are the same way. Your abilities are limited.

Now, this may offend you, America, but you are at a place where you need to take care of your children first. This means the citizens within you must be a priority. You (and by that I mean we the citizens) are in so much debt that we are leaving a burden too big for you and your children to carry. We are feeding others before caring for our own poor. And we are putting America’s children in danger by opening our couches to anyone and everyone. Now, I am the first to say that I want you to help the whole world, but if you, America, do not get yourself in a healthy place then our children will be facing a dismal America at best, and no America at worst. So while my heart goes out to those in process of immigrating here, I also know that America needs to put on its own oxygen mask first before helping others with theirs. I know America needs to get out of debt before giving to other countries, and America needs to deal with the strife and bloodshed in her own house before bringing peace to the world.

America, I also want to address the lawlessness with our borders. I tell my children all the time, “With great freedom comes great responsibility.” Freedom is not a license to sin or do whatever we want. Freedom is not void of immorality. Freedom can only be had in the context of an understood morality. Freedom of speech should not give permission to speak vile language. My children can have opinions that are different from one another but if they start calling one another stupid or sassing back at me that is not acceptable. They can have an opinion without forcing it on others. If the moral compass is not there, America, then society will crumble. Your founding Father’s who were so wise, made your foundation strong and used the moral compass of the Bible. The separation of church and state was put in place because they were concerned as to how the government had controlled the church for ill reasons and did not want to see that unhealthy relationship happen again. They would roll over in their graves if they saw what has happened with God being taken out of government, and prayer and the 10 commandments being taken out of the school system. (Thank you, President Trump for bringing prayer into the government again.) If you look at the original school primers developed for you, America, the readings were taken from the Bible. Now there are many that don’t like it and want to change the course of you as a country, but whether it is liked or not, it was the original moral compass you used, and it was what gave us a firm foundation and a solid constitution.

Freedom doesn’t mean you can steal or murder or lie. That isn’t freedom. Just as you have checks and balances in your government system, there are checks and balances needed with freedom. Solid and absolute Truth must be established, justice must be fought for, and humility must be worn! Freedom doesn’t come without a fight. Illegal immigration is just that. Illegal. You can fight for it all you want to, but any healthy country will tell you that there is a way to legally become a part of that country, and there is also an illegal way to enter. The issues at hand are not to close our borders forever, but to work on America’s health so we can help others better. Healthy borders are not bad. The adjustment will be painful however. When I bring my kids in and send my neighbors away and tell them there is work to be done, I don’t often get a happy response. Who wants to work when you can play all day? America, you will not be well liked as you establish healthy borders and ask your children to get their chores done. But when my children get their work done the house becomes a place of peace where we can then accomplish more, and enjoy life together. America, you and your children (we) need to get some work done and everyone needs to do their share. Your children need to take care of their debt, they need to take care of the children in their own foster system, they need to take care of the health of their homes and businesses and families.

I have worked hard and sacrificed a lot so my employees can have jobs and my business can give to the poor, orphans, and widows. I and my business partner have sacrificed our own pay to have this happen. You are going to have to be willing to sacrifice your own pay to make you great again, America. That is what it is going to take. Hard work, lots of love, and sacrifice are needed to rebuild you so you can give again. You can’t give when your broke. And America, you are broke. You need some time to rebuild. You need some time to heal. We have not lost our vision to help the world, but you have lost your way. Take some time to find it again. Go back to your roots. Strengthen yourself. Re-establish your vision. America, you can do this! You have done it before, you can do it again. With God, all things are possible.

Sincerely,

an American mom