Day off. Parades. Bonfires. Fireworks.
Four phrases that are often associated with July 4th.
Last year forever changed my thoughts and emotions on July 4th. It was no longer simply a holiday break.
One year ago, my paternal grandfather passed away. Enjoying fireworks is hard to do after hearing that kind of news. The relaxing celebration with friends and family turned bittersweet and will be again this year. For my father especially, July 4th will be incredibly difficult.
Now, I don’t bring any of this up to put a damper on your Independence Day celebrations. In fact, I intend it for the opposite.
Independence Day is a day for remembering: remembering loved ones, learning from the past and celebrating the freedom that we now enjoy because of those who have given up everything for us.
It can be easy to look forward instead of backward. Reminiscing can reopen wounds we thought had healed long ago. It means an honest evaluation and critique where necessary. The past can help guide your future, but not always.
This is what was done in the Declaration of Independence written by our forefathers, the Founding Fathers of our nation that we revere. They took a look at their past and wrote a new future. They saw the injustices and the monotony the people had suffered through. They lifted themselves up out of the rut they had been stuck in and made a change.
Everyone has a role model. What makes someone a role model? Because of their character and achievements, whether those be related to economics, religion, government, etc. We look up to people we want to be like, people who make a difference, people who have succeeded. Seeing past successes motivates us and teaches us about possibility.
Looking back helps me recognize how I’ve grown and progressed.
Looking back motivates me to be a better version of myself, for others as well as for myself.
Looking back inspires me to make a difference.
Looking back challenges me to live differently and be a light in the darkness.
When I write about July 4th, I remember how my grandfather also occasionally wrote for his local newspaper. When I have a bonfire on July 4th, I’ll look back on all the times I went to his house and sat around the fire and told stories with my cousins. When it’s hard to hear someone talking to me while fireworks are exploding, I’ll think about that time my Grandpa hung up the phone on me because he couldn’t hear me, and how I still laugh about it today with my Dad.
These memories may only be a small part of me, but they make me incredibly grateful who I am today. For how I got to be where I am now. And for all the people who have helped me get here and will continue to help me along the way.
Independence Day isn’t simply another holiday, and it certainly isn’t a thing of the past. It is one of the greatest reminders and symbols of our nation.
