The Fourth of July has always been a very family oriented holiday for me, as growing up it was a time when we gathered together after a day of swimming and had a picnic only complete with my grandmother’s famous potato salad. It was a day that felt like summer had truly arrived and that life was just as it was supposed to be – no shoes on, towel wrapped around your waist and a piece of watermelon in your near future. Memories of my family together on the 4th are probably some of my fondest. The last handful of years have not allowed me to be with my family on the holiday, so it has forced me to think about the day in a whole other light.
Today, totally by chance, I listened to the Moth reading, “Finding Home” by Dori Samadzai Bonner. It is a truly incredible story of a young woman who was smuggled out of Afghanistan with her brother when she was only thirteen in hopes of getting to America. The story is remarkable and it is overwhelming to hear of all that this family went through in the hopes of seeking asylum in the United States. There are many things that are currently happening in the US that are disheartening, embarrassing, and, honestly, downright scary. Yet, hearing Dori’s story was a sharp reminder of the things about this country that are worth celebrating, which for me is the fact that we were founded on the basic principle that we all have the right to “be” – be what we want, be who we are, be vocal, be the change that we want to see happen. That as humans, we have the “unalienable Right” for “the pursuit of Happiness.”
My hope is that the United States will continue to be a place that embraces and allows the true meaning of those words. That we will really allow people to pursue their true happiness – whether that means what they chose to do with their life, who they choose to marry (or not marry) or how they decide to pave their way through this world. To start valuing individuality and stop trying to push one set of standards onto the entire population of complex, interesting and diverse people. To be open to creativity and allow space for change, as the world is an ever-changing place. And to remember that at 238 years old, we are a very young country. We have so much to learn and do not have all the answers.
My professional life in public education has made me acutely aware of the issues that exist in our country, yet to have the ability to openly discuss these issues and be who I want to be in this world should not be taken for granted. So, this weekend I will celebrate that – the hope and the potential for all of us to just be – and if I’m really lucky, maybe do it poolside, towel around my waste, anticipating a delicious piece of watermelon.
*Image via Trip Advisor
[…] heard Dori’s story via a Moth podcast, and wrote about it in a July 4th Daily Being post, Pursuit of Happiness. Dori came across the article, reached out to me via email and we discovered that we lived only 30 […]