With the July 4^th Independence Day nigh upon us, I stop to think what to do about the Holiday.

Invite friends over? Bar-b-que hotdogs and hamburgers? Go for a motorcycle ride? Clean the house?

Deciding is tough, because the vision of “declaring our freedom” isn’t reflected by those activities.

Not that I’m extremely bothered by whatever decision I make, but I do ponder the fact that the typical July 4 activities are stereotypical visions that add to a growing sense that our culture has failed to catch up with reality.

Many of us know that when we find ourselves, or our country, in oppression, that we need to take a stand, and declare our independence. Although this is a first big step, it diminishes in light of the fact that we then have to fight for that freedom we are declaring.

We have to change out our bad habits. We have to stop enabling abuse. We have to start being accountable. We have to fight, and this fight should not be overshadowed by our July 4 activity.

We can cast off tired stereotypes of what it means to declare our freedom, not by freely doing whatever we want, but by supporting the fight for our freedom from mental and physical oppression.

We were given mental and physical freedom to live, love, and have meaning. In whatever activity we choose, we can advance that freedom by forgiving where forgiveness is required, by assisting someone else where assistance is needed, by releasing false expectations and expecting something bigger.