The 4th of July is upon us and I’ve been noticing that Americans are a funny lot. We’re much like a family. We fight and criticize one another. Roll our eyes, even pout, but if somebody outside the family criticizes us, or attacks us in any way we circle the wagons! It is family first!
This weekend we will gather with family and friends in parks, backyards, beaches, campgrounds, national parks, lakes and main streets across the country to celebrate who we are….Americans! We will have picnics and barbecues, wave flags, cheer at parades, eat homemade ice cream, hot dogs and watermelon, and when the sun sets on a practically perfect day we will find a chair, a patch of grass, a piece of beach to gaze upon fireworks in all their glory. When it’s over we will carry sleepy children, gather up blankets and spent sparklers with quiet smiles and warm hearts to match the summer heat, making our way back home.
Lately, though, some of us have ventured a bit far off the family farm. We explain to outsiders, “Oh, that’s just Uncle Fred. He’s a bit crazy. Just pass him the potato salad”. Our tempers flare with each other and like all families we fight, slam doors, leave the room, don’t talk to each other. I shake my head at my fellow Americans who see our country differently than I. They shake their head at me.
Together though, together we make a difference. Together we are different. We’re the first to offer aid in a global disaster. We feed the world and even have satellites in place to see where we should focus our efforts for upcoming drought and famine. We are the world’s peace keepers and the world’s warriors. We tenaciously defend our liberties, but what is unique about us….we defend the liberties of others around the world.
The principles set out in the Constitution allow us to govern ourselves morally, which then allows us to govern ourselves politically. Those people around the world who endeavor to be free look to the United States as a mighty beacon of hope. For that reason I am proud to be an American. I am grateful to be an American because I am free.
Enjoy this weekend! Unite in red, white, and blue, celebrating Old Glory and all that she stands for. Monday will come soon enough. Then we can scream, shout, slam doors, and make excuses for Uncle Fred. But, on the 4th of July, we’re family! We’re Americans! God bless the USA!