As many may have noticed, we lightly toss the word citizenship around, as if it were a meaningless, dust covered, worthless book without words. Many do not fully understand what it truly involves. They plainly refer to someone who legally resides in America as a citizen of the United States, but there is certainly more to a word so full of patriotism and freedom, such as citizenship, than that. Simply pretending that citizenship is a quality that anyone possess, as if by right, is nothing short of absurd.


Citizenship may seem as though it is a simple word in a large book of definitions and explanations, but like an American Flag represents more than what it seems; citizenship means more than what the simple definition implies. There are so many other homes for this word than in a dictionary. Homes such as in the hearts of millions of Americans who are honest and caring. Who are considerate and trustworthy. Who use their right to vote and to stand up for what they believe is right. Homes such as in the souls of celebrating emigrants who have just been granted the right to the title of American citizen.


Most take the blessing of being a citizen for granted. They state that they display citizenship daily, even though they fail to know what citizenship really involves.


The word citizenship can represent something as simple as flying the American flag in front of a home, or something as complicated as helping orphans in a troubled neighborhood to find caring families. The truth is, most can not show citizenship properly, without a little help along the way. We are angels, each of us bearing but one wing. We must learn to lean on each other to fly, we can not do it alone. When we help each other we take steps forward, toward making this great nation even more magnificent than it is. When we let or wings unfurl and we lean on each other, we accomplish so much. When we do this we reveal the purest form of citizenship known to man. Compassion.