Cheap Freedom?

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

It’s been awhile,

Yes, it’s been awhile.

Since I’ve celebrated Independence Day,

Since I’ve celebrated Freedom Day.

It feels strange,

Strange to be in my own country.

American flags proudly waving in the sky,

Red, white, and blue wildly splashed on doorposts, t-shirts, faces.

You can’t miss it, you can’t hide it,

You can’t avoid it, you can’t deny it.

It’s Independence Day,

It’s Freedom Day.

Picnics, fireworks, barbecue,

Friends, family, fun.

It’s something to celebrate,

But not something to take for granted.

We live in a country,

A country of freedom.

You can do what you want,

You can say what you want.

You can be what you want,

You can dress as you want.

You can believe what you want,

You can practice what you want.

Freedom, may we never forget,

Freedom, may we always remember.

The great cost for our freedom,

What people paid for our independence.

May our freedom, our emancipation,

Our salvation, our celebration.

Never become cheap!

—Marci Renée, The Cultural Story-Weaver

Let’s Weave Cultures!

When was the last time you really paused to consider, to remember the price paid for your freedom? Maybe now is the time.

Originally published at https://culturalstoryweaver.com on July 3, 2023.