Oath

According to the Webster dictionary an Oath is a solemn, usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says (2) : a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one's words b : something (as a promise) corroborated by an oath.

This past Tuesday I attended Jose's oath ceremony to become a US citizen. It was held at a courthouse in the area, a lot of people, from a lot of different countries were there to go through the process of swearing in.

It was a very emotional day for everyone. I can't speak for Jose, but I'm sure he was happy, it was something he had worked hard for this last year. For me, well, what can I say, I am more than happy, I'm excited, I'm anxious, I'm hopeful, because him taking a step further and becoming a citizen, means I'm a step closer to becoming a resident, a step closer to a good job, to being fully independent, closer to that feeling of FREEDOM.

At the ceremony I loved listening to all the different accents, to me it's just amazing how the same language can change so much yet still mean the same.

The judge leading the ceremony gave a speech about what it meant to be a citizen, people took their oath and then everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance.

He also spoke about how becoming a citizen made them Full Americans, not Mexican-Americans, not Russian-Americans, not any kind of hyphenated American, but simply Americans.

One of the most moving moments for the audience was when the judge asked the new citizens to, in their words, express what it meant to them to be an American...people took turns talking about their experiences, about how long they had waited for that moment, about how long ago they had left their countries and so on.

A young beautiful woman spoke about how her dream was to become a nurse and how her dream had come true in America. Another woman spoke about how hard it had been for her to make the decision of becoming a citizen, since she was (and is) so fond of her homeland.

But there was a middle aged man that got up to speak, and he said something that to me just shows exactly what it is to become an American, this what he had to say...I quote.."When I first came to this country I asked my self; what can this country do for me? what does this country have to offer me? But now, as an American I ask myself, What can I do for this country? What do I have to offer this country, MY COUNTRY"

I'm sure every new citizen had their own story to tell, their own hardships to go trough before taking that oath, their own country to miss, but I'm also sure that every one of them thinks of America as their home.

It will be a long time before I get to stand before of a judge to take that oath, a long time before I get to hold a certificate stating that I am AN AMERICAN, but I know that that day will come, and I know that I will be ready to call America MY HOME.