Today, we celebrate America’s birthday. It’s a joyous celebration of patriotism and pride, and one in which we reflect on the freedoms and ideals that built our great nation.

Much h as changed in our lives and our country since America’s last birthday. We have been attacked; we have begun a war on terror; and we have rallied as a nation.

Even as our country changes, some things remain as steadfast as they were 226 years ago, when our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring publicly their willingness to stand up for the freedoms they believed all men were due. Things like our belief that all men are created equal, and that we all have a right to be free to worship and speak as we choose, and to pursue a better life in a democratic society. And things like our passion and our willingness to fight for that which we believe. And things like hope — for a better and brighter future, for our children and future generations.

We certainly have much to celebrate today, and just like that day in 1776 when our Founding Fathers signed their names on the Declaration of Independence, that celebration is tempered with the weighty realization of both the costs and the rewards of living in the United States of America.  

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