Although it seems impossible that it’s already time for a July 4th picnic and local fireworks, the holiday is now upon us, come grey skies or blue (here’s hoping for BLUE!). As we celebrate Independence Day and all the liberties we are so lucky to call “certain inalienable rights”, we might want to take a minute to also think about the interdependence that has been woven into the fabric of our culture in the last year.
While every year we toast to “The American Way”, this year, especially, it seems that we have much for which to be grateful. Most, if not all, of us have been effected by the economic crisis that sent shockwaves throughout the market. We have all adjusted our spending habits, opting for necessity over frivolity. But although the downturn caused stress throughout the country, it also caused us to re-evaluate what’s important. We learned that at the end of the day, labels and status symbols pale in comparison to health and the support of friends and family. We learned that when push comes to shove, we are all trying to make a living in the best way we know how. We learned that with crisis comes fortitude of spirit that may have previously lain dormant. Perhaps, most surprisingly, we learned that we are all interdependent on one another for getting through challenging times. We reached out to former classmates to make sure they were faring alright, called family members to check the status of their jobs, and started volunteering our time to reach out to those who were in much more dire straits than we were.
This weekend, as you look around at your friends and family gathered in your yard, go ahead and celebrate the birth of our great nation; and in the name of celebration, don’t be afraid to toast the interconnected spirit that will only serve to strengthen us as we forge ahead to better days.
~by Amy Flyntz-Morehouse, Director of Positive Mojo. Photo courtesy of “phillyblurbs.com”
