This is my fourth July fourth as an American! 

 To my great delight I was naturalized on January 5th 2007 and spent my first Independence Day as a citizen while staying with a wonderful friend, Liz Carpenter - which I thought was very appropriate.

 Over two decades ago when I was new to the US and renting Liz’s guest house in Austin, Texas, Liz threw me a 25th birthday celebration, (my first on American soil) hung bunting and called it “the Americanization of Geraldine party!” 

 Twenty five years later her prophetic gesture became a reality.

 Liz was soaked in politics. She was one of the three women to start the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), was Press Secretary to Lady Bird Johnson in the White House and was appointed to positions of influence by six presidents. 

 Although Liz was horrified that I have sustained a life-long disinterest in politics we shared a love of many other things including Vera Lynn torch songs, impromptu parties and poetry.  Indeed during my stint living in her guest house I read her a poem I had recently discovered which had quickly become one of my mother’s favorites.

“Never mind your mother”, cried Liz. “It’s now my favorite poem!”

She proceeded to put it in the book she was writing and quoted it in subsequent media interviews.  It was the Jenny Joseph poem that begins: “When I am an old Lady I shall wear purple…” which quickly developed a life of its own.

 Whenever I see a woman of a certain age decked out in purple and wearing a red hat I smile and remember Liz.

 Liz died this year, age 89, on March 20th 2010.  It was the first day of Spring – and she would have loved the irony – her code name during her White House years was “Springtime”.

 On July 4th it is good to remember all the blessings that come from being part of the great melting pot that is America.  And as for me, one of those blessings is having known, learned from and loved one of the all-time great American characters - my friend Liz Carpenter.