As we gather for one of my favorite holidays, I am awed by our right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Do we even begin to understand what that really means? With a daughter in South Africa and a son-in-law in Cambodia, Independence Day takes on renewed meaning to me.
On the 50th anniversary of our independence Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them." It was the last letter Jefferson ever wrote. He died 10 days later on July 4, 1826, on the same day within hours of his old friend, fellow Founder, and fellow former President, John Adams of Massachusetts.
As we celebrate with 41 family and friends I quietly thank our founding fathers for their foresight, intelligence, devotion and sacrifice. It was a high price they paid for this amazing country that we live in. God Bless America.
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