Home of the Brave

This morning, I said I wasn't going to get all sappy about Whitney Houston, but a friend of mine posted her still unbelievable rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner on Facebook and now I can't help it. No one has ever come CLOSE to this. Every single time I hear someone try, I bring up this rendition and everyone is always like, "Oh yeah... no way. No one will ever be able to do that again."

The important thing to remember is that this was aired during wartime. It was during Desert Storm; a war that America truly supported our troops in. I remember my dad taking me to Westover Air Force Base to see the troops come home and, to this day, it is one of the most emotional events I have ever attended. I will never forget that day. This version of this song is intimately connected with that day for me and will always be special to my heart and to my understanding of how the people in this country should support one another during tough times.

When you watch this, pay special attention to all the waving flags in the stadium, to the reverence of the salutes, to the USA banners, to the precision of the flyover.

This really brought me back. Nothing holds a candle to this. Nothing ever will.

RIP Whitney.