Dear America

by JAKE HEFLIN

Dear America,

My wish for your birthday is to take care of each other. We are stronger together. Love your family, help your neighbor, and tend to your community. Pay attention to the unmet needs around you and take action. Be a mentor and contribute to the mental, spiritual, and emotional growth of our future generations. The youth are our future while our elders are the link to our past. They remind us of our greatest successes while holding us accountable for our darkest moments. We must honor them, respect them, and care for them. Their stories matter.  Take time to listen.

We are a reflection of each other regardless of our race, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.  When we start acting as one, we can break down the barriers that have contributed to our divide.  We have weathered many storms throughout our history, especially during last year with COVID-19 and another record-breaking year of wildland fires.

Now, as we celebrate your birthday, it is time to heal.  Let compassion, caring, and service be our guide as we move forward together.

A single arrow by itself can be broken in half with minimal effort.  However, a bundle of arrows, held tightly together, cannot be broken. Our strength comes from each other…held tightly together bound by our desire to serve and care for others.

JAKE HEFLIN

Jake Heflin is an enrolled Tribal member of the Osage Nation and Cherokee Nation, He is the President and CEO of iTEMA, the Tribal Emergency Management Association, and a Firefighter for the city of Long Beach, California. To learn more visit itema.org.

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