When Andie was born on the 4th of July in 1982 it was also a Sunday! Her due date was July 15th but Andie is not one to wait around if celebrations are happening! Before Andie came along I had never experienced motherhood so her arrival changed my life forever! It is hard to believe we have celebrated 28 Fourth of July's where we recognize our beautiful country and our beautiful daughter in tandem. Fireworks took on a whole new meaning with Andie's birth!
Irving Berlin wrote "God Bless America" in 1938 and during WWII it became almost a 2nd national anthem. The phrase "God Bless America" came from Berlin's mother who used to say it often while Berlin was growing up on the Lower East Side of New York City after the family immigrated from Russia.
Berlin himself said that this country had given him everything! The song, with only 40 words, still makes Americans want to stand up and place their hands over their hearts! It's definitely one of my patriotic favorites!
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night, with the light from above,
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home,
God bless America, My Home Sweet Home!
-Irving Berlin
So in tribute to our nation, our freedom, Irving Berlin, and our darling daughter: God bless America and God bless Andie!
