Letter to the editor of the Columbia daily Tribune
I am writing this to thank the City of Columbia. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!!
You helped me. You moved me along, you made me remember, you made me so proud, you helped to heal me. Heritage Days happened and you made it happen. I was and will continue to be a vender at Heritage Days. I set up my tent Friday and felt as if I was going through the motions of living. I didn't know if there would be sales that weekend and quite frankly that was not my worry nor care. I was just glad to keep moving, to be away from the TV and surrounded by my heritage.
Dotted all over the park were flags waving, with music from different stages, artisans making their crafts, storytellers telling their stories, kids getting their face painted and food being barbequed. There were displays and exhibits of where we came from, the Indians with their Teepees, the cowboys cooking over their fires, the civil war soldiers, the old time buggies, the pictures…the Heritage, OUR heritage. At 2:00 on Saturday people gathered around the flag and with a few words from Mayor Hindman and Donnie Stamper we stopped, we were silent and remembered.
Thank you Cookie Hagen and every wonderful Parks and Recreation person as well as all the citizens of Columbia who joined in on the Heritage Days at Nifong park. You helped me move forward with my heart filled with love, faith and hope.
God Bless America
Melynda Lotven
