Can you believe it's 4th of July already? I can't. This year has been a blur. One year ago, I wrote a blog post about the importance of personal independence for everyone.
But this year, a different definition of independence has been at the forefront of the national news. What is independence? Is it the unfettered right to do as you wish without constraints? At what point do we sacrifice personal liberty for the larger good? While watching Hamilton last night, I was most struck by George Washington's song about choosing to step down as president so that the republic can live on beyond his lifetime.
Isn't that what we want for our children? To we show them that it's ok to make their own way in the world and that they can go on even after we're gone. George Washington had enough faith in this great American experiment in governing to believe that the states, despite their geographical, political or economic position, they would indeed remain one United States. They said it couldn't be done. They were wrong.
And so, we all make some concessions in order to preserve our union. We value our personal freedoms, but we know that in order to have a strong and robust and just society, we sometimes put aside our personal comfort for greater purposes, so that when one of us struggles, we're all there to raise them up. And forged in that is our pride as an American society.
That's what parents want for their children- for them to be a part of a community, a society, that outlives us long after we're gone.
Happy Independence Day!!
With Gratitude,
Mandy