Here in the US, many of us today will wake up looking forward to a cookout with friends or family. We’ll be thinking about the food we’re going to bring, or who will be at the party. There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, and maybe even our Aunt’s famous Jello cake, all in Red, White, and Blue. And in the evening, we’ll sit on a blanket in the grass somewhere, or in front of our TV at home, to watch fireworks. After all, it’s
July 4th.
A day that marks our country’s declaration of freedom should be celebrated this way. Only for many of us, celebrating our country has become bittersweet. All the things we were taught to love about it as children have been tinged by our grown up realizations that when it comes to freedom, we aren’t as far as we thought we were.
Two hundred and forty-three years later, we are still wrestling with what it means to be free.
Two hundred and forty-three years later, we are still wrestling with what it means to be free. Patriarchy, racism, and immigration, among other things, all point to an underlying belief that there is a scarcity mindset when it comes to freedom. That somehow, by fighting for the equality of others, we will lose our footing.
Only, by its very definition, freedom is a thing of abundance. When it is present, it is like all the air around us. We forget that it is even there. But when it is absent, we can’t even breath.
Since 9-11, it feels like we’ve been fighting for our freedom all over again. I say 9-11 because that is when I was first adult enough to really pay attention. But maybe we’ve always been fighting for our freedom. Maybe the Declaration of Independence was about more than separating from England. Maybe creating and keeping a state of freedom is a long journey.
If this is the case, it is one I believe we must keep fighting. One that makes me that much more grateful for my family and loved ones who have served our country both at home and on the battle field. It makes me thankful for the truth tellers, and for the people who are fighting for racial reconciliation. For the men seeking to make space for their sisters in industries where they should have always been. And for those trying to welcome immigrants, remembering our great grandparents were immigrants too.
Maybe creating and keeping a state of freedom is a long journey.
Learning about the division in our country based on what we hear on the news has made it harder to pay attention. Discovering political differences with our loved ones via social media has been disheartening. For me, some days it has made me upset enough to want to eat all the things. But then I remember:
All of this is happening because we have freedom.
In our country we have independence to do good or bad. We have the ability to fight against old systems in hopes of bringing about greater freedom. We have the ability to fight to keep the good that has always been here. We have the opportunity to speak our minds, but so do the people whose opinion directly oppose ours.
Freedom is messy, but it is so beautiful.
Let’s celebrate it today, and tomorrow continue to do our best to use it for good.
Are you in the midst of making a decision? Contemplating a life change? If so, you may be interested in my FREE Making Changes Checklist that I give to all my email friends. Want your free copy? subscribe here.
Photo by Roven Images on Unsplash
