This week celebrating the Fourth of July took a new meaning. I will explain. We all know that the 4th of July is a day to celebrate Independence and Freedom for all people. July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress. What an amazing event in the history of the world. And how much has taken place since that day. According to the US Census there was approximately 2.5 million people living in the newly established independent nation at that time. WOW! How much the United States of America has grown over the years. I am particularly grateful because I get to come to the U.S. after all. I had been dreaming about this trip for a long time and felt so disappointed when I found out that our flight from Buenos Aires to Dallas was cancelled. The government had issue a new order limiting entry to only 600 people a day. Many airlines had to cut their service to certain cities and Dallas was one of them. When we called to find out an alternate itinerary there was none. No seats available on any of their flights for the next four weeks. Yikes!
By some miracle, we can take a private plane to Paraguay to connect to another plane that will take us to Miami via Panama and then to Dallas and finally to Salt Lake City. Amazing! I feel so blessed today. What a tender mercy.
I love celebrating the 4th of July whenever possible but you must be in the U. S. soil to do that. I appreciate the words that were written in the declaration of Independence and the sacrifices so many people made to get this declaration into place. I was so touched and inspired at the words included in the document. I wanted to share those that touched me the most:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
It goes on to say a most powerful quote that I think every leader should hang on their wall so they never forget it:
“A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
What a powerful statement that is. And so true. Great rulers lead their people, they don’t dictate and demand, they inspire and serve. They are humble and kind and they love the people they lead. A big contrast to what I am experiencing at the moment if you get what I mean. I feel so proud to be a U.S. citizen. I won’t be writing while on vacation but I will catch up when I get back.
Con amor,
Vero
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