Rediscovering the meaning of Independence

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Rediscovering the Meaning of Independence
by Julie Forbes

As I prepare for the weekend, I am excited. My older brother is coming in town whom I haven't seen since my father passed away. Our family is planning and decorating so that we can enjoy a fabulous afternoon in the sun. Refreshments, food, sunscreen, plates, cups, napkins, etc. have been found and are ready for launch. It is the 4th of July.

Yet somehow I feel disconnected when I should be grateful for those who risked it all for our freedom in this awesome country, America. I remember feeling excited about the 4th of July when I was in the 5th grade. The teachers had a way of relaying the events and the valor of the men and women who changed the course of history, and therefore directly affected the course of my own life. When I was fifteen, an onslaught of patriotic feature specials hit T.V. daily for a week before the 4th of July. The day had its place in my heart and one would have thought it would continue forever. My father and my mother taught me to be grateful that I was born in a land that allows us to be free. They love this country and with great passion they took on the responsibility of passing that love onto my siblings and myself.

Is that the answer to my disconnectedness in regards to the 4th of July 2000? That I have to do the work myself and rediscover the meaning, the sacrifice, the pain and the bravery that this holiday encompasses? Rediscover the fact that, "of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, one Thomas McKean of Delaware was so harassed by the enemy that he was forced to move his family five times in five months. He served in Congress without pay, his family in poverty and in hiding. When Carter Braxton of Virginia signed the Declaration of Independence, he was a wealthy planter and trader; but thereafter he saw his ships swept from the seas and to pay his debts, he lost his home, all of his property and died in rags. Thomas Heyward, Jr. was captured when Charleston fell. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside while she was dying; their thirteen children fled in all directions for their lives. His fields and gristmills were laid waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves and returned home after the War to find his wife dead, his children and properties gone. He died a few weeks later of exhaustion and a broken heart."(1.)

It's my responsibility to re-capture the pride and patriotism of this holiday in all its glory, to bestow it upon the next generation. And in doing this, the 4th of July regains it's true meaning; a revolution that began because a country had bravely declared it's Independence. Have a great time this holiday paying tribute to those patriots of the past, the freedoms you enjoy today and the freedoms your children will enjoy beyond tomorrow. Happy Birthday America!

(1) Heintz, James R. 4Th of July History