When I saw that today is National US Postage Stamp Day, I went to get my collection. The old photo album I keep them in stays buried at the bottom of an antique chest my dad restored for me. I can’t even remember the last time I got them out to look. In fact, my husband looked utterly floored. “How long have we been married?”, he asked. (The answer is 23 years.) “Why did I not know you collected stamps?” Just trying to keep some mystery in our marriage.
Truth is, I just hadn’t thought about it in a while. But now he, and all of you, know just how super cool I really am. In the 4th grade, I ordered a stamp book from a Scholastic book order (oh, those were so fun!). The book included big beautiful, colorful and exotic stamps from all over the world. They ignited something in me and prompted me to start a hobby I enjoyed for many years.
I learned how to soak stamps off envelops and constantly searched our incoming mail for different or unusual ones. Christmas time usually brought an abundance of riches as many people abandoned the usual flag stamps for something seasonal and festive. Whenever I went to the post office with a parent, I hoped to see some new commemorative release or collection. Sometimes I could find a package of stamps for sale at antique shops, and when my great-grandmother passed away, I got to add her collection to mine.
As an older teenager, I got busy with teenagery things and lost interest. But I still have them all and am enjoying looking at them now. I have stamps of animals, actors, authors and presidents. Crazy Horse, Dolly Madison, Jackie Robinson and Army Surgeon Dr. Mary Walker live on in my book. I have stamps ranging from 2 cents to 50.
Why Am I Talking About Postage Stamps?
I’ll stop geeking out now and get to my point. I think I loved stamps because they show so much history. The last few years much has been said about the dark underbelly of our country’s history. And I get it. I’ve learned so much. And I’ve changed how I feel about some things. I’ve even – for the first time – questioned the pledge of allegiance. Fortunately as a grown up, I’m not asked to say it anymore. And I’m glad. Only because my allegiance belongs to God and God alone. Not a human, not a country and definitely not an inanimate object. For example, as much as I love my husband, there are things he could do that could alter how I feel about him and the nature of our relationship. The same goes for any other person or entity. Only our unchanging God deserves true allegiance.
But I do love being an American citizen. With all of its flaws, it is still one of the best places in the world to live – especially as a woman. I have the right to vote, hold a job, own a home and land, run for political office and have my voice heard. And most importantly to me, I get to worship as I choose. And many people made many sacrifices for that. It is for these things, and many more that I will celebrate this flawed, but beautiful country. And I’ll vow to keep learning and doing better.
Happy Independence Day to my American friends!
And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!
Grace and Truth’s own Lisa Burgess hit on a hot button topic with Do I Stay Christian or Not? It breaks my heart to see so many people walking away from the Christian faith – and their reasons are many and varied. Check out the book Lisa recommends on the subject in her post.
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MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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How cool that you have a stamp collection. I created a stamp collecting book years ago but I haven’t added any stamps to it in a long time. Thanks for the party. Happy 4th of July.
I haven’t done anything with mine in a long time either, but getting it out made me want to!
What a cool thing to collect! My husband collects stamps as well. I agree that the history is so interesting. What a wonderful things to share before the July 4th holiday!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you, Katherine.
That is very cool. I had no idea that you collected stamps. I wish I had collected something over the years. I guess I do magnets from work trips.
Travel magnets is a fun thing to collect!
I love that you have a stamp collection, Lauren. I love that your husband did not know about it! I HAD one but no longer. I cannot recall when I gave it away/got rid of it, but it was a long time ago. I truly loved the adventure for many years. And thank you for tying it all together. I find that this Independence Day is bringing new and not so positive feelings for me. Most unusual!
Thanks, ~ linda
Not too much is cut and dried, is it, Linda? Even our country’s independence.
Thanks for hosting, Lauren, and Happy 4th of July! I’m glad to live here, too, flawed as we are.
Happy 4th Donna.
So fantastic that you still have those stamps. History!!! I used to love collecting them….. I’m lucky now to see one stamp a month, on an envelope. (sigh)
You are so right about that. I bet it’s a dying hobby since the amount of stamped mail is so small! Thank you for visiting.
That’s so cool Lauren, I enjoyed learning that gem of a nugget about you. I love how you interconnected your love of postage stamps and freedom. I really loved reading this. I truly appreciated your insights within. Blessings.
The June Sweet Tea & friends link-up is live as well. See the post containing the link up in Grace & Truth this week.
Thank you, Paula. And I just visited your link up!
Thank you for linking up Lauren.
Thanks for making sure it knew it was link up time!
I hope that kids today still have stamp collections! Such a cool way to preserve history. My grandfather used to be a mail carrier, and he would often give us first edition stamps. But I kept very few of them. 🙁 Now I wish I had kept them all.
Thanks for sharing my post on Christianity. It can be a complicated subject these days.
Agreed, Lisa!
oh i love the old stamps! and i’m happy because our post office usually is very gracious and allows me to browse their current collection … i always pick the ones that make me smile.
A fellow stamp lover! I adore the fact that you don’t just take the flag stamps but pick ones that bring you joy!
Oh my goodness, Lauren, this post was so fun and so powerful. I love that you geeked out about your stamp collection! What a wonderful hobby to revisit and it is so cool how much history can be learned from things like this. I have definitely changed many of my views about our country’s history. The older we get, the more we know, and the better equipped we are to form our own independent thoughts about all the things! Thanks for sharing this post and linking with me. I am featuring this post at Friday’s link party.
Shelbee
Thank you so much my friend. And I am ecstatic to be featured. Thank you so much.