A Safe and Happy 4th of July to you. This morning, I put on my freedom t-shirt, wearing its American flag with a different feeling this year.

I can’t help but feel sad for all of the chaos and trauma in the United States and certainly, around the world. Our country is experiencing a dangerous reality that makes me sad, yet still hopeful that it can be salvaged.

I went for my usual walk to clear my head before writing and came upon a family whose youngest had just become a Naturalized American citizen that morning with a formal ceremony beneath a massive tree on a shady knoll right there in the middle of town. She swore her oath and pledged her allegiance to the United States that those of us who were born here often take for granted. The 4th of July tends to find its meaning diminished in the backyard barbecues and explosions of fireworks.

Those few minutes sharing the happiness of the newly naturalized helped me to focus on the values and freedoms that we share and hope to share with all Americans.

I went home and came across this NPR interview. It’s worthwhile to listen to the 6:54 minutes and reflect on how far we’ve come. Hopefully, we can overcome the current chaos in our government.

Five years ago, NPR interviewed great-great-great-great grandchildren of Frederick Douglas, having them read aloud the speech that their forefather delivered on July 4, 1852 before an abolitionist group. Their comments that follow are passionate and worthy.