Today’s the day that Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and discovered America. How about that?
Could you imagine what life must have been like in the late 1400’s when Columbus took this journey?
It reminds me of a cruise I went on several years back from New York City to Bermuda. It was in late August before the start of school and during hurricane season.
To our unfortunate surprise, while on the ship, we encountered a severe hurricane which lasted for the two days while en route to Bermuda. It was horrible. The waves were so high and the boat rocked so much that practically everyone on the ship, including the crew got sick. When we finally arrived in Bermuda, many people left the boat and didn’t get back on.
As I was experiencing this, I pictured my grandparents and great-grandparents on a small ship crammed in to come to America to have a better life. It must have been awful for them. But I guess the thought that they could have a better life elsewhere kept them strong. The life that they had in their country was so much worse than the short, rocky trip to America.
What did Columbus do for all of us? He discovered our country, a place that no matter what your religion, race, ethnicity or gender, is a place that we all call home.
