Freedom Friday

Friday, July 4th. Independence Day. It’s America’s birthday and it’s a three day weekend. America will celebrate it’s independence from Britain. There will be parades, families will get together, there’ll be cookouts and fireworks. There’ll be all sorts of merrymaking – most of which I won’t partake. I’ll settle for the parade, a little boating, hamburgers and hot dogs, and fireworks. It’ll be great day.

It’s bittersweet for us, grandma and grandpa were always here for the Fourth. Always. The past couple of years they’ve been unable to make it up together. Last year grandma was here, but it was different. Regardless, I am always thoughtful of this day as well as our other national holidays – Memorial Day and Veterans Day – and how and why they are important to our culture and who we are as a people.

the Fourth of July parade with grandma, grandpa, and the kids - W and O. 2006
the Fourth of July parade with grandma, grandpa, and the kids – W and O. 2006

I am ever so grateful for the courageous men and women who went before me – Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and many more who debated and wrote the Declaration of Independence and set forth the ideas freedoms of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…….. for more

I am mindful of how easy it is to obtain the text of the document or any important document – it is available freely over internet or a public library. Much has changed in the 238 years since the document was signed and presented to King George III of England. Literacy has improved significantly – in 1776 few people could read and write and today, literacy is almost universal. The ideas of freedom have spread and if we are not careful, these freedoms can disappear and can be taken away. I often wonder what our founding fathers would think of present day America, would they approve or disapprove.

It’s a moot point and the parade’s an hour away. Today is gonna be a great day. Yesterday was a wonderful day – we got some weeding done, some chores around the cottage, and we managed to squeeze in another campfire by the lake to end the day. So I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. today is gonna be a great day. Making the days Count, one day at a time, especially Independence Day.

What’s on your Independence Day agenda? 

9 thoughts on “Freedom Friday

    1. I’ve been in England on the fourth three times ’75, ’77, and ’80 and it was odd – it felt like any other day… But I suppose it is any other day for 95% of the world. And, After all we do speak English with an accent! 🙂

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