Independence — Day

A worn American flag blowing in the wind against a bright blue sky.

That idea was a lie to many at the time (slavery was still legal), and it has required constant, bloody, passionate work to make it true for everyone. But it was the start . It was the North Star. When you watch the fireworks burst in the sky tonight, I want you to listen to the silence right after the boom.

You are a star. Your neighbor is a star. We don't have to look the same. But tonight, we look up at the same sky and watch the same fireworks. Independence Day

Not just a generic "Thank you for your service." Find one. Look them in the eye. Say: "I’m eating this hot dog because you did your job. I appreciate it."

They signed it anyway.

We all know the rhythm of the 4th of July. The smell of charcoal and barbecue sauce. The ice-cold clink of drinks in a cooler. The jarring pop of firecrackers from the neighbor’s driveway three days early.

But sometimes, in the middle of the potato salad and the pool floats, we forget to ask the obvious question: What are we actually celebrating? Two hundred and forty-eight years ago, a group of men in Philadelphia signed a document that was essentially a break-up letter to the most powerful empire on earth. It was treason. If they lost, they would be hanged. A worn American flag blowing in the wind

More Than Just a Day Off: Reflecting on the Cost of Freedom