July 4th.  Independence Day.  We’re celebrating our 235th anniversary with Independence.  Amazing.

Today is a day of reflection.  Some went to the beach.  I worked.  My privilege as an American.  But I also reflected on the day and the meaningfulness that it holds for anyone who wishes to know it.

I think of many of our military.  My own uncle John Murphy served in the South Pacific during WWII.  My nephew Mark Loughlin has served several tours in Iraq with the US Army.  My friend Bill Bradfield, EA near Seattle, WA flew as a fighter pilot for the USAF as did my dear friend John Phillips who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in Vietnam flying an F4-Phantom. And none of that would have been possible had we not had brave Americans who were willing to put it all on the line to gain their freedom from the superpower — England in 1776.

America’s had a long history of pain to gain or maintain freedom for our citizenry.

Freedom.  If it’s worth fighting for, it’s worth fighting for.  It doesn’t come cheap.

Let’s honor the price our brave men and women in the military pay every day and others have paid for us in the past to be ‘free’ — it’s a gift.  Be thankful America. Happy birthday and, God willing, may you see many, many more, too!.