Your Thoughts on the 4th of July

The Spirit of 76

Your birthday is a day you look forward to every year. It is. Don’t try and argue. Parties, gifts, spirits, a bowl of cheer. So what happens when it’s not just your birthday, but the birthday of every tax-paying Jim, Sheila, Taj, Maria and Tadeusz? Parades, galas, sparks, a 313 million gallon stainless steel chili pot of sheer jubilation.

The birthday of our Nation. Independence Day. The Fourth of Ju-ly.

It prompts us to recall that hot, sweaty, American summer day in 1776 when some fifty of our infant nation’s best, boldest, and brightest put their names on a document that declared to a monarchaic monster and partisan population, “We’re not gonna take it. No, we ain’t gonna take it. We just want to be free.”

So we fought, and thirty years later we fought again before we got those Brits off our back. That’s when Francis Scott Key was able to put into words the spirit of resiliency that enters the soul of everyone who’s ever waved that Star Spangled Banner.

So, it’s your birthday. It’s not like a regular birthday though. There’s so many parties, you may not even host your own. That’s probably better. Unless you really know how to throw a hoot, then you should host.

That’s probably the best part of the Fourth. We all kind of just do what we want. We’re up at the cottage, in Michigan. We’re over at Aunt Carroll’s for her town parade that passes right by the front lawn. We’re with Lucy and Kayla. We’re next to the grill, bun already split just waiting for that dog. We’re visiting grandpa. We’re celebrating our birthday in the most perfect way we can think of. Celebrating our individual and collective freedoms.

It’s OK if you didn’t get me anything. The 76’ers in Philly took care of that too. We get the renewing gift of freedom each and every year. How about that? It’s EXACTLY what I wanted!

So whether you’re on a pontoon boat on some crystal blue lake, in an alley blowing off some whistling kitty-chasers, or cracking a cold one with your closest compatriots, remember to think on Independence Day. And not just about how much dynamite you should use to blow up that old microwave…

I mean think about the spirited ideals America was founded on. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness … Faith, hope, and love … All men were created equal. Today, we embody all of those.

But what about tomorrow?