"Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death"

"I don't even know,
where my life would be,
if you hadn't shown,
shown your love for me,
broke the chains,
chains that were binding me.
Gave me liberty.
SET ME FREE
(Myron Butler and Levi)

The song, Set Me Free, whose words are above, is a song that I listen to often. Everytime that I hear it, I am reminded how great it feels when the chains are broken. LIBERTY BABY!!!

One 4th of July, I sent Valarie Boyd, the author of  Wrapped in Rainbows, (You must read "Wrapped in Rainbows." It is about the life of Zora Neale Hurston and so much more. Every single word is a joy to read.) an email message to wish her well. When she responded to my note, she wrote:

"Freedom is a beautiful thing, ain't it."

All I could think about after I read her words were: "Yes it is."

In Beloved, by Toni Morrison, the main character's story is based on a real life story.

Sethe is a former slave, and one day, Sethe saw a White Man approaching the place where she currently lived. She had some type of slip of the mind, and she thought that the man who was approaching was her former slave owner coming to take her and her children back into bondage. Sethe grabbed her children and tried to kill them, because she would have rathered for her children to be dead than not be free.

For a woman to want to kill her children, rather than have them put in bondage, must mean that freedom should be cherished and/or being in bondage is HELL.

A few weeks ago, we had a pep rally at school, and the children were so FREE. They were dancing, singing, shouting, leaping. They SEEM to not have a care in the world. We all know that teenagers have many things going on in their lives; however, at that pep rally, they really were a perfect picture of freedom.

Often, if not everyday, I think that it is important for us to exam if there are any CHAINS that are holding us back. If we are not doing some sho' nuff good belly aching laughing, doing some real hard dancing, experiencing peace and joy that passes all understanding, or doing whatever else that makes us feels free every now and then; then we must ask ourselves WHY NOT!

Are we worrying about the thoughts of others? Are we worried about what others might think if we take the road less travel? Are we afraid to get out of the box that we have been in forever? Are we guarding our hearts expecting pain and hurt?

Remember: "Whom the SON sets free, is truly free indeed!"