Head Bowed In Reverence ForThe Year 1863
For me just about no other year in the history of the United States, my native land, brings the avalanche  of emotion as does the year 1863! 
This most definitely would NOT have been the case if Norm and I had not taken our two and one half month trip to the southern states in the summer of 2012. There the Civil War came alive and I learned the perspective of the South during this monumental conflict. My heart softened towards both sides and, after reflection, I held on to this dear country of mine even tighter than ever.
The most prominent events that spark my solemn thoughts and emotions are The Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation October 3, 1863, and The Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863.