Tax day

In celebration of Tax Day, my husband and I came up with a list of many of the things we're blessed with as citizens of this country that we wanted to express our happiness for the opportunity to support with our tax dollars.

Gratitude for this Blessed Nation

I am grateful for the roads I drive every day and for the prosperity that freedom of movement for people and goods affords the economy.

I am grateful for an education system that is available to everyone. I am grateful to belong to an educated society.

I am grateful for police officers who enforce the law. I am grateful for a courts system that mediates disputes and guides justice.

I am grateful for the DMV that ensures people are licensed to drive, and ensures that their vehicles are safe.

I am grateful for a parks system that preserves some of the natural beauty of this land we've been blessed with.

I am grateful for the FDA that makes sure my food is safe and makes sure the drugs I sometimes need to treat illness are not snake oil.

I am grateful for the EPA that protects us from pollution, that keeps our water drinkable and our air less smoggy.

I am grateful for building codes and inspectors who make sure the buildings I spend my time in are safe.

I am grateful for social security that keeps my grandmas from living in poverty.

I am grateful for unemployment benefits, particularly in these tough economic times.

I am grateful for Medicare, Medicaid, and other welfare programs that keep people from suffering the worst of poverty.

I am grateful for NASA and their inspirational mission. I am grateful we can, and we do, dream of visiting the stars.

I am grateful for NOAA and the national weather service--especially living in tornado alley!

I am grateful for the CDC for tracking and studying diseases.

I am grateful for the USGS that helps us find and properly use our natural resources, and monitors earthquake and volcanic hazards.

I am grateful for a navy that protects us from pirates. I am grateful for the national guard, for their service in country cleaning up disasters, and out of country. I am grateful for the service of the other branches of the armed forces too!

I am grateful for air traffic control for making air travel just about the safest mode of transportation available.

I am grateful for the IRS for collecting our tax dollars--very efficiently, too!--so our government can function.

Freedom isn't free. This year, and every year, I am grateful for the opportunity to pay taxes.