Lost in Liberty
“375! 376! 377! We made it! Molly and I began our celebration. I can’t remember the exact order, but I know it started with raising our hands above our heads and jumping in place like Rocky. After catching our breath, at some point, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance, fumbled through the Star Spangled Banner, and chanted USA! USA! USA! Like we were at the Miracle on Ice . We got on our tippy toes, peaked our heads through the emerald crown, and looked out over New York City. The World Trade Towers, where we ate dinner the night before, dominated the landscape and I felt like He-Man, the Master of the Universe . It was 1989. My Dad was running the New York City Marathon, and along with my Mom, Molly, Joe, and I got to tag along. We were numbers five, six and seven out of seven kids. The older siblings were off at college. It was just the five of us. Anyone who has a big family knows how special that is. Family dynamics change and you have your parents all to yourselves. Terrorists