Happy Fourth of July: A Mother’s Wish for Her Daughter on Independence Day
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always had a special relationship with the Fourth of July. My parents tried to make the holiday fun for me and my siblings -- they always made a special effort. And now as an adult, while other people might stress about what they’re going to do on New Year’s, I care more about where I’m going to barbecue on the Fourth, and how I’m going to make it the perfect day.
This year, I will be celebrating by enjoying a barbecue with my boyfriend’s family and each of our daughters, so I know I’ll have a great time. But lately I’ve found myself thinking about the holiday in a way that goes beyond barbecues and fireworks. Perhaps because my plans are set, or because my daughter is getting older, or maybe because of everything that is happening in our country right now, I’m thinking about what it means to celebrate the fact that we are Americans, and what I wish for my daughter’s future here.
I have always had a strong personal connection to this country in a historical sense, because of my ancestry. On my father’s side I have ancestors who arrived on the boat after the Mayflower, two Presidents, and a member of my family has served in nearly every war into which this country has entered. On my mother’s side I descend from Russian and Hungarian Jews who took a chance and came to this country for better economic conditions, religious freedom, and to escape the violence of the pogroms.
But lately I’ve been thinking more about what it means for me to be American now, in the year 2015, and what it means to raise my daughter in this country. As a liberal who grew up in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, I have always struggled with the conflict between my internal beliefs and those to which I was asked to subscribe. I have always believed in civil rights for all people, I have always believed that the rich have a moral responsibility to do what they can for those with less, I have always been anti-war and pro two-state-solution, and I have always believed that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education, not just those with wealthy parents, or those who are willing and able to incur significant student loan debt (like me).
And lately we have begun to see some glimmers of change in this country. We currently have our first African American President of the United States, and we have both a woman and a Jew campaigning as strong contenders for the next presidency. A win for either would be another first for a country that up until very recently only elected white, Christian men to that office. This June, the Supreme Court ruled once again in favor of the Affordable Care Act in a decision that will prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance, and handed down a landmark victory ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. I’m still in disbelief that we have come so far as a country. My daughter will grow up knowing that love wins -- that we are all born equal in the eyes of the law. And if my personal favorite Senator Bernie Sanders wins the next election, my daughter may even be able to attend college free of charge. Change is coming. Slowly, but it’s coming.
And so this year, on our Independence Day, I wish for my daughter to grow up to be proud to be an American. I wish for her to continue to witness more love than hate, more equality than discrimination, more hope and less uncertainty, and more progress for all Americans. I wish for her to grow up to be happy. To feel safe. To know that she comes from hearty stock, people who fought both literally and figuratively to be American. I wish for her to grow up to be free. I wish for her peace.
Happy Fourth of July to you all.
This year, I will be celebrating by enjoying a barbecue with my boyfriend’s family and each of our daughters, so I know I’ll have a great time. But lately I’ve found myself thinking about the holiday in a way that goes beyond barbecues and fireworks. Perhaps because my plans are set, or because my daughter is getting older, or maybe because of everything that is happening in our country right now, I’m thinking about what it means to celebrate the fact that we are Americans, and what I wish for my daughter’s future here.
I have always had a strong personal connection to this country in a historical sense, because of my ancestry. On my father’s side I have ancestors who arrived on the boat after the Mayflower, two Presidents, and a member of my family has served in nearly every war into which this country has entered. On my mother’s side I descend from Russian and Hungarian Jews who took a chance and came to this country for better economic conditions, religious freedom, and to escape the violence of the pogroms.
But lately I’ve been thinking more about what it means for me to be American now, in the year 2015, and what it means to raise my daughter in this country. As a liberal who grew up in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, I have always struggled with the conflict between my internal beliefs and those to which I was asked to subscribe. I have always believed in civil rights for all people, I have always believed that the rich have a moral responsibility to do what they can for those with less, I have always been anti-war and pro two-state-solution, and I have always believed that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education, not just those with wealthy parents, or those who are willing and able to incur significant student loan debt (like me).
And lately we have begun to see some glimmers of change in this country. We currently have our first African American President of the United States, and we have both a woman and a Jew campaigning as strong contenders for the next presidency. A win for either would be another first for a country that up until very recently only elected white, Christian men to that office. This June, the Supreme Court ruled once again in favor of the Affordable Care Act in a decision that will prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance, and handed down a landmark victory ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. I’m still in disbelief that we have come so far as a country. My daughter will grow up knowing that love wins -- that we are all born equal in the eyes of the law. And if my personal favorite Senator Bernie Sanders wins the next election, my daughter may even be able to attend college free of charge. Change is coming. Slowly, but it’s coming.
And so this year, on our Independence Day, I wish for my daughter to grow up to be proud to be an American. I wish for her to continue to witness more love than hate, more equality than discrimination, more hope and less uncertainty, and more progress for all Americans. I wish for her to grow up to be happy. To feel safe. To know that she comes from hearty stock, people who fought both literally and figuratively to be American. I wish for her to grow up to be free. I wish for her peace.
Happy Fourth of July to you all.
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