245 Years Young
America’s Promise on this 4th of July
This year, more than ever, I am asking myself what freedom means to me. This is what I’ve come to.
We live in a country based upon the promise that we are entitled to the freedom to do, be, and become all we are meant to be. We continue to define what this means for each person as we step into the future. I feel I have been blessed to be an American. I love my country and all it has given me in the way of opportunity. You might say, I have been incredibly lucky but there is no doubt in my mind that my luck depended upon the original promise made in 1776 to a future our founders only hoped for but could not see.
I assume that my deepest desires are no different from any one person on the planet: to have the ability to provide shelter and clothing and food for myself and my loved ones. To live in a safe society where freedom of movement does not threaten my welfare or the welfare of people I love. To celebrate successes, to mourn our losses. To walk through a park holding hands and to worship God as I feel called to do. I am grateful for all these freedoms. And while I know things are imperfect, have always been imperfect, I also know that within a democracy, within our Republic, we have the sacred opportunity to graciously and with understanding offer these freedoms to each other. To evolve, as a people, and to grow in understanding for what freedom represents.
I feel a deep responsibility to be part of the solution. As a nation of people I feel there is a deep, soulful responsibility to care for one another, to respect and honor each other, even when our choices differ from someone else, except for when that choice place’s another person in harm’s way. So this weekend, I celebrate our imperfect but perfect country because loving a country is how we love a partner in a committed relationship; for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. We do what we can to make it work. I love this land, the land I call my home. I mourn lives lost, whether by war or injustice, of every citizen and feel deep joy and pride, and yes humility, for all the good things that are part of our history too. We have been incredibly lucky as a nation.
This is a country to be loved and cherished. I hope we can come to a place where we treat her kindly, where we honor her unborn potential for good and trust the process of our democracy. To demand accountability and justice. It is up to us to make her promise tangible, real, or to at least attempt to reach for a higher ideal within ourselves so her potential can be reached; to try and find peaceful, practical solutions to all the challenges we face. Every kind act, every tolerance, every honesty, brings her value. Beneath all the turmoil of today there lives a spirit of, a history of, coming together as a people to rebuild, or to at least try to make life better after tragedy.
On her 245th birthday, wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July. It’s our birthday to celebrate as American citizens, whether you are 1 day old or 110 years young. This is the one birthday we all share.
May you trust the thousand roads of hope we travel as our Nation moves forward and into her tomorrow. God’s speed, and God bless the USA.
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Candace George Conradi is a published author of inspirational books, articles, and poetry. She is a practitioner of Human Design, a system that offers its users a way to navigate and make decisions in life that support their unique path. As a Human Design certified Living Your Design guide, she helps others map out a clear path for living life authentically and without guilt. You can visit her page at www.lydlifemap.com or her author page at www.candaceconradi.com. For questions, please email her at candaceconradi@gmail.com.