Independence is an obvious word choice for the day that we celebrate the Fourth of July in the U.S. Yet the word does not just embody the idea of being free from oppressive governments. We are also free to make choices about how we live and what we accept in our lives. Sometimes we take this freedom for granted, but more often than not, it seems, we forget that we have this freedom at all. This freedom of choice.
Choice is a big word too, encompassing many different paths of thought. We know from recent supreme court issues and individual state issues that not all of us have always had the right to every choice we may desire. However, today, as we consider choice, we can also consider it from the viewpoint of how we choose to let actions and decisions of others effect our lives.
It is easy and sometimes even the defaulting practice for us to feel persecuted or injured by others’ actions. In a world where not everything is black and white, we often think we are the recipients of thoughts and exploits we cannot control. Yet, it is our independence which should remind us that we are able to choose. We are free to choose how actions, deeds, and opinions influence our lives, our peace of mind, even our place in the world. We can choose to be the persecuted or we can choose to be a prevailer. Not everyday and not every situation will always give us this opportunity, yet we always have the opportunity to re-evaluate how we are choosing to let something affect us. It is in this way that we have the ability to enjoy our independence everyday.