Fifty Shades of American

For my entire life, I've heard and learned that we need to be colorblind when dealing with others. This past week, in the shadows of all that has happened, the Boston Marathon bombing, the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, and the floods in Illinois, I saw nothing but color: Fifty shades of American. Not black or white or every beautiful shade in between that Americans come in. What I saw was the red, white and blue pride of Americans pulling together to help Americans. Sometimes our National pride is battered and bruised by our self-imposed divisions: geographical location, ethnic heritage, age, sex - you name it and we'll use it as a reason to stand apart. However, during tough times a wonderful thing happens, we all pull together as Americans and we accomplish amazing things. This week made me wonder, what do I, as a citizen born here, take for granted that my grandmother, who came here at the age of 16, might have been looking for? What do your red, white and blue dreams look like? What do you love about America that you want to share with those who come here seeking the American dream? For me, I want them to see our strength in the face of danger. Whether man-made or nature-based, we'll work together to overcome because red, white and blue flows through all of us. We're Americans.