Red Poppies

Dear Jack,

Did you know that Georgetown is the Red Poppy Capital of Texas?

Did you also know that the red poppy is also a symbol of the American Legion? It became associated with veterans because of a famous and beautiful, if melancholy, poem by John McCrae called "In Flander's Fields."

I feel quite certain that you did not either of these facts, and probably still will not know them for many years to come. They are not well known, nor often repeated and have no place in school history books.

You will, though, by the time you are a preschooler, know that there is something called a Red Poppy Festival and although for you, it will have nothing to do with wild flowers, community pride, or remembrance, it still means all of those things for me.

You will enjoy the parade, the cars, the food and the bounce houses. I will enjoy the slice of Americana come to life and I see a dream realized in living in the kind of community that can come together in such a small town way on such a big town scale. I will remember one of the last few happy memories of my dad... going by the American Legion tent outside Kroger's where he handed me a red poppy pin just like he was doing for all of the other shoppers as he asked for donations for veterans. I will remember the poem and think of your uncle, and think of how I can take up the torch for him and try to be there for his family when he cannot.

It's just a day of walking around the square in good old Georgetown.

But it's also a day to count blessings and right now, sweet boy, my blessings are many and my complaints not worth mentioning, and I cannot imagine a better place to be in life.

Love,
Mom