My family recently got back from a family reunion. We have young kids, so we aren’t really in a travel-the-world, or even the nation, phase of life yet. As such, family reunions for my side and my husband’s side of the family are really all that fill our summers.
One thing I appreciated during this family reunion was that my in-laws sat all their kids and their spouses down — a whopping 16 people now that all eight children are married — and talked about some important things on their minds.
Among the topics discussed were how to manage finances, how to prepare for retirement and how to teach your children light and truth. We also played a roaring game of The Newlywed Game — won by yours truly.
An additional topic that was unexpected, yet incredibly appropriate, was America’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The discussion from the group centered on the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the enduring legacy of the Constitution and the sacrifices men, women and children all made to declare independence and fight for our freedoms.
I’ve always loved learning about the American Revolution and the events that brought about the birth of our great nation. When I was in eighth grade, I took second place in regionals and advanced to the state competition for National State History Day. The year I competed, the topic was conflict and compromise in history. The topic I selected was on the initial battles of the American Revolution — the battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.
My project and presentation was complete with a wooden trifold stand-up board — full confession, I saved all the printouts from that presentation in my school keepsakes box … that I finally tossed out not two months ago.
This gave me the opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of these historic battles and how integral they were in setting the stage for the revolution that followed. I learned about key figures — like Paul Revere, William Dawes and Capt. John Parker, who is known for his famous quote “Stand your ground. … Don’t fire unless fired upon. But, if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
The “shot heard ‘round the world” on April 19, 1775, changed not only the course of the American colonies, but also the future of the entire world. The only reason we know what “the American dream” means is because of everything that came from the creation of our nation.
In-hand as we left our family reunion was a children’s book my in-laws gifted everyone: “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence” by Neil Gorsuch and Janie Nitzie. This weekend, I sat down with my 4-year-old to read it.
It’s not every day a children’s book will bring me to tears — I confess it is known to happen — but this was one of those days. It reminded me of the pride I felt in my country when I was studying the Lexington and Concord battles in eighth grade. I realized it is my job to teach my kids to be patriotic and feel proud to be an American.
With all the discord in politics today, it can be easy to forget what happened in the Philadelphia State House assembly room when the delegates for the Continental Congress gathered and voted for independence.
At the beginning of the children’s book there’s a quote from John Adams that reads: “You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.”
Are we? Are we making “a good use of it”? I sure hope we are. I hope the Founding Fathers — who gave their money, time, intelligence, homes and their very lives for this cause — would look at us today with pride.
The signers of the declaration were asked — after losing everything — if they would change anything. Thomas Nelson Jr., one such signer, said, “I would do it all over again.”
The book’s poignant finish touches on the day Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died — July 4, 1826, just hours apart. On his last day, the 50th anniversary of the nation, Adams “woke to the sound of bells ringing.”
He was later asked if there were words he wanted shared during the celebrations. The story concludes with Adams saying, “‘I will give you: Independence forever.’ A few moments of silence passed. Someone present asked Adams if he might like to add anything. Adams’s eyes brightened. ‘Not a word.’”
So this week, I’ll be setting up my American flag, some stars and stripes around the house, gathering my collection of America-themed library books, and sitting down with my young kids to tell them a story about a group of people — patriots — who gave everything they had so we can be free. And we’ll thank them for giving us “independence forever.”