Crossing your Delaware...

As a first generation American, this is probably one of my favorite holidays, because it helps remind me of the blessings we enjoy in America and the sacrifices made by so many to help provide us with those.   We all have seen wonderful paintings of George Washington bravely crossing the Delaware.  But no painting can truly depict what must have happened.

Wonder what was going through George Washington’s mind as he led his rag-tag army across the Delaware on that frigid Christmas eve in 1776.  Fear, anxiety, loneliness, and desperation? We’ll never know.  Little must he have imagined or known that what the next few hours had in store..  Until tonight, his army had faced a series of debilitating defeats – unshakable and unwelcomed memories of Brandywine, Kips Bay, White Plains, Long Island must have danced in his head. But providence had something else in mind this night.  With the help of fate, unseen bravery, strong purpose, great timing, sprinkled with some sheer luck and inexplicable ineptitude on the part of the Hessian and English soldiers, the Americans pulled off the seemingly impossible and turned the tide of the revolutionary war and our future – they achieved victory when it mattered most. And that is what is rightfully remembered and celebrated.  This dream that was hatched today on July 4th almost 250 years ago was now to become a reality - because George and his continental army won when it mattered most.

We too can do the same when faced with struggles. We too can win when it matters. We too can cross the Delaware!