To Tallahassee and Back: Happy Independence Day!

I try not to say Happy July 4th, or some variation of that, any more.  While that is the DATE we celebrate, it is really the historical event we are recognizing.  We say “Merry Christmas” to celebrate Christ’s birth.  We say “Happy Thanksgiving” because that is the day our nation has chosen to thank the Lord for whatever it is in our lives we feel gratitude for.  The same can be said for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, etc.  We don’t use the dates of those holidays in our greetings to one another; we use the name of the holiday itself.  So, why treat July 4th any differently?

Without giving an unneeded history lesson, I believe all Americans understand what happened on and around July 4th 1776, I will just remind that is the date our nation’s founders proclaimed independence from the tyranny the colonists were living under.  Simply put, that declaration of independence is what is celebrated on the Fourth of July.

I don’t want to get hung up on this.  Really, I don’t.  I just want to make sure that Independence Day doesn’t become just another Hallmark Holiday, just another date on the calendar in which many people have the day off from work and exchange perfunctory greetings.  It is a wonderful time for picnics, barbecues and trips to the beach, if we are so inclined.  However, like every other holiday Americans celebrate, there is a meaning for the celebration.  That meaning should never be forgotten.

In the 237 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed, brave Americans have died around the world to protect the freedoms the courageous signers set into motion.  As we enjoy whatever we are doing this Independence Day, whether we are with family, friends or taking a well-deserved break from the world, let’s not forget why we have the holiday in the first place.  Parents, please make sure your children understand what Independence Day means.   As a parent myself I would be remiss if my children did not know why July 4, 1776 is an important date in our nation’s history.

As I write this Egypt is once again in turmoil.  The military is attempting to overthrow the duly elected president of that nation.  Thank God we live in a country in which nothing such as this has happened.  We have a constitutional republic that has been the envy of the free world.  Nations come and go, kingdoms rise and fall, but the United States of America persists.  It takes more than a holiday every fourth day of July to keep our freedoms alive.  It takes a daily recognition that each of us, in whatever sphere of influence we may exist, must do all we can to honor the past, take care of those who protect us now, and work for a better future.  It may be a daunting task but, as Americans, we can do it and we can do it together.

I wish you and your family a joyous and blessed Independence Day!