As we in the United States celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation, I wonder what the future will bring to our beloved democracy. This last year has been a tumultuous one filled with disappointment, uncertainty and fear. It is difficult to find joy in the celebration, yet we are still free. That freedom was secured by many a forefather taking up arms and today I will celebrate them. I will also celebrate other Americans who have made America great and kept her so, indigenous, immigrants and native-born. I celebrate the artists, writers and poets who make our hearts sing. I celebrate the scientists, doctors and inventors who make our hearts beat and save our lives and make daily life more productive. I celebrate our teachers who expand our minds and give us hope. I celebrate the public safety professional who chose to fight our fires, crime and wars. I celebrate the American family, no matter how it looks, who impart good values and form the backbone of our nation. I celebrate us.
Less than one hundred years into our country’s history, Walt Whitman wrote of his America, “A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother.” May she return us to our values and let us seek our untold wants.
My Second Act, Scene One 