Independence Day felt somewhat overcast this year, and I’m not talking about the weather (though in North Carolina, we had some very impressive thunderstorms). It’s a strange time to be in America, and the conversation doesn’t really need to veer too much toward the political to acknowledge a tangible sense of weirdness.

But, like the post referenced below from @diamondoodles, we do not stop celebrating, because perseverance and pride are mainstays of the American people. This sense of optimism, I think, is what made the sight of others’ July 4 celebrations all the more beautiful: Finding cause to rejoice despite the current mood and climate, by acknowledging our families, our freedoms, and—with a digital flood of red, white, and blue—our flag. A friend of mine put it best when he suggested celebrating “the Americans he knows and loves,” and there’s nothing better than sharing that love.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk0osmfHyKb/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1bzh3u9lei1fw

Via: @diamondoodles

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor