Pride

Gratitude 3/31/2026

I am grateful for the gift of a new day.
My heart is filled with gratitude for the many blessings I have.
I will appreciate the small joys and express my thanks in all circumstances.
Let my attitude of gratitude bring joy to others.

I’m grateful for being proud of so many things.

It’s really easy to feel proud of your school or team when you are immersed in a group culture. Here in Central Ohio, one cannot help getting wrapped up in Ohio State Football pride. So many obituaries I read mention how the deceased was an incredible fan. I know this is true of any sports teams. I used to think that the Washington Redskins now Commanders was the one thing that everyone in the DC area could support regardless of their race, ethnic identity, or political persuasion.

Not to mention schools, and and states, and cities, and even places where you have vacationed. Alumni sport their high school and college shirts and caps, their home state or city, all over the world. When a fellow alumni spots a member of their tribe, there is immediate connection.

Beyond sports and schools, there are many reasons to be proud. I loved the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding that came out in 2002.

Those Greek parents epitimized the pride of heritage that I have observed among so many people. I personally have met people who have expressed pride of their Italian, Irish, Catholic, Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, Jamaica, Canadian, Laotian, Indian, Korean, Jewish, Swedish, German, Russian, Iranian, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Mexican, Peruvian, Chilean… ancestry. We get emotional talking about our grandparents and cultural icons and achievements. Or their ability to survive. You don’t need to have won awards to feel pride.

I am proud of so many things. I am proud of my Swiss/German, English, Russian Jewish, Canadian, Scotch Irish ancestry. I am proud of being born in New Jersey, spending my youth in Northern Virginia, going to school in Massachusetts, and living in rural Ohio. I’m proud of my husband having earned a Ph.D. in anthropology. I’m proud of my daughters who graduated from good schools, are gainfully employed, and have a social conscience.

I am proud of having been a teacher and then worked in educational publishing, supporting public education and improving people’s lives. I’m proud of the part I have played in maintaining this family farm, an Ohio Century Farm.

I am proud of being an American. I’m so proud that I was born into a country that is a nation of immigrants with people of many different races and religions, and somehow we have for the most part gotten along peacefully. We can travel throughout the country visiting cities, towns, and National Parks and feel accepted and welcome. We can own our own property and businesses. We can choose where we live, where we go to school or not, and get paid for the work we do.

I am proud that our nation has been a force for truth and justice in the world. I am proud that after World War II, we recognized that carrots were much better than sticks in creating a new world order. We supported the United Nations and formed alliances so that former enemies, like Italy, Germany, and Japan became vital trading partners and allies. Our country was founded on liberty and justice for all, and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have certainly made mistakes and have undergone some very difficult times, but our Constitution was so well written that it encourages free speech, freedom of religion, the right to peacefully protest, and the ability to change our leadership through voting so that our representives reflect the consent of the governed. The writers of our Constitution even foresaw the need to make amendments to the Constitution itself.

I do understand that Proverb 16:18 that “pride goes before a fall.”

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

I cannot be blind and so proud that I diminish other people who have the same right to be proud of their heritage and history as I do of mine.

I am grateful that people appreciate their own and others’ pride.