This weekend we will celebrate the Fourth of July, America’s 246th birthday, Independence Day. From big cities to small towns across the nation there will be parades, cook-outs, baseball games, ice cream, and fireworks. There will be age-old traditions celebrated and folks who create new traditions. And every little bit of it will be beautiful.

I have always loved the Fourth of July. It brings such a sense of unity to our communities as we all celebrate our pride in being Americans. Despite what media headlines and your social media feeds may lead you to believe, we still have every reason under the sun to be proud to be Americans, to be thankful for our freedoms, and to celebrate our incredible nation.

I won’t argue that America doesn’t have her flaws and I won’t insist we can’t improve in some areas. Who amongst us doesn’t have flaws and doesn’t have room to improve? I know I do. However, I know in spite of my flaws, I can be amazing. At times I can pull off the grocery store and making dinner all in the same day.

Our beautiful country is no different. It only makes sense that as a country we are a reflection of our citizens, flaws and all. As individual citizens we may not agree with every politician, every decision made, or every stance that is taken, but we must always recognize how truly lucky we are to live in the land of the free, the home of the brave.

Women recognized 100 years of voting rights in 2020. Last week we recognized 50 years of protection for girls’ sports and clubs at public schools. All twelve of the world’s recognized religions are practiced freely and openly in America. In just two short years we will celebrate 60 years of Civil Rights laws that have guarded against discrimination in employment, housing, and access to services/facilities. America is home to some of the world’s leading medical centers, with people across the globe seeking care at our hospitals. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been in place since 1990.

I could spend hours creating a resume for our country. We have so much to be thankful for and proud of. America undeniably continues to lead the world in freedom and opportunity for her citizens.

We need this year’s Independence Day celebrations more than ever. Right now, we need a greater sense of unity in America. We need less us against them. We need less focus on what makes us different and more focus on what unites us. I look forward to seeing communities across the country set aside their differences and find the patriotic spirit that is in every American as we come together in goodwill to celebrate our opportunities, our freedoms, and our way of life.

What a wonderful day it will be! One of my kids will get sunburned even though I will remind them no less than 15 times to reapply sunscreen. My husband will get frustrated with the smoker when the meat cooks too fast or too slow. I will probably get frustrated with all of the traffic. But we will play patriotic music all day, laugh with our friends, ooooo and ahhhh over the fireworks, and thank our lucky stars to be Americans.