Independence Day!

I have been remiss with writing and I do apologize! Being out of work has me scouring job boards and classifieds quite literally around the clock. As I mentioned in my first post I never want to use Mary's Modern Mishaps as a place to just whine about my troubles. However, this whole job search doesn't put me in a mood NOT to whine, so I find myself in a Catch 22. Fortunately, I went to church yesterday and my parish bulletin had a wonderful piece in it that I simply have to repost in honor of Independence Day:

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the

Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they

died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons

serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary

War.

They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large

plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the

British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost

constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions

were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

The properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton were

looted.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken

over the Nelson home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly urged General George Washington to open

fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis’ home and properties were destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, who died within a

few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His

fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning

home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while

enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they

paid.

There was no author listed, but this piece said a lot to me. One, I could stop my pity party (God kindly enforced this by giving me a flood to rival the one he gave Noah as I made a mad dash to my car...which I parked as far away from church as possible so I could sneak in some extra exercise.) Two, I'm a history major and I had no idea about what half of these men put up with...safe to say non-history majors have even less of an idea. Three, my church's bulletin is online so I can do one of my favorite things and save the earth by going paperless!

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July and remember what others paid so you can watch fireworks, not work, and drink beer.