It Started with a Pen

I love that we get to celebrate Independence Day, because I love what it stands for, the freedoms that it represents. We often take our liberty and freedom for granted and that is understandable. After all, none of us stood at the Old North Bridge, ready to fight and die for a way of life that would be better for our children and their children. No, we are those children, several times removed, and it was our fate that was at stake. Now, as we sit in our lawn chairs and watch the fireworks, eating hot dogs and frolicking with friends, it is easy to forget that July 4, 1776 was a very different day than July 4, 2016. It was a day of courage and defiance. It was a day of fear and commitment. It was a day that would change all of the other days that came and will come behind it.

There are many things that are going on in the world around us. Attacks at airports, political elections, emails and posturing. Locally, there are budget vetoes, moldy buildings, architectural designs and bad behavior. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day to day dung that we find ourselves wading in and, to be fair, we all have a little dung in our lives, it is not just unique to government. But, we have set aside one day to celebrate and reflect on the willingness for extreme sacrifice from those that we will never know. We may share their DNA but it is difficult to understand their heart. There are those who have stood against the wolf at the door and we owe them our gratitude for defending the freedoms that we enjoy. But, it is on Independence Day that my mind turns to those whose dreams became my reality. Those brave souls who provided the foundation for me and you and my child and your child because they knew what had been and had hope for what could be. They were not the last who would fight for freedom but they were the first that fought for mine and I am ever grateful.

So, as Independence Day 2016 comes and goes, I could not let it pass without offering a heartfelt thank you to those men who put pen to paper, bringing forth the birth of a nation, my Nation. And to those that secured my freedom and liberties, who took up arms and fought fiercely so that United States could be more than even they imagined, I am grateful and blessed to be your posterity.

For those that created her and those that defend her, now and then, this day, Independence Day, is your legacy. For the rest of us, it is our gift. God Bless the United States of America ! Let Freedom Ring!