With the approach of the 4th of July, liberty, freedom, and independence are the watchwords uppermost in our minds. We enjoy many forms of freedom in America, yet often take those freedoms for granted. While we associate this July holiday with national independence, in a broader sense, freedom also includes personal liberty. Sometimes, we allow […]
The Positives and Negatives of Personal Independence
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain, and formally adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. As a country, we celebrate our independence in many ways, and not just on the 4th of July. But how does independence factor into our personal lives? Is independence always […]
Remembrance, Sacrifice, and Freedom
In the mid-1950s, before I was born, my parents went to Europe. My Uncle Wesley was stationed in Germany as part of the post-WWII Allied presence and my parents visited him and Aunt Jean. But my parents also went to Switzerland to see the place where my father was held prisoner after his plane was […]
5 Benefits of Seniority
As I left the gym Saturday, the teen sitting behind the reception desk stifled a yawn while wishing me a good day. “Sorry for yawning,” she said. “I graduated last night and didn’t get much sleep.” After getting in the car, I thought about what it means to be a senior and how seniority has […]
Freedom Leaders
As a writer, I’ve always wondered what it was like to pen something as significant and monumental as the Declaration of Independence. Did Thomas Jefferson welcome the challenge? Did sentences form in his head faster than he could dip quill to ink pot? Or did he sit and ponder, staring at blank parchment as he […]