It’s the day before the Fourth of July, and truly—there’s no place like home.
Sometimes it takes a trip abroad to fully appreciate the blessings we enjoy here in the United States. You don’t have to journey across Europe to get that perspective. I’m reminded of it every time I spend a Saturday building houses in Tijuana for families with far fewer comforts. Crossing back into San Diego or stepping off a plane at Lindbergh Field is enough to stir that quiet sense of gratitude.
To both the U.S. isolationists and the America-bashers: go see the world. It’s not all bad—and you’ll return with a deeper appreciation for how good we have it here.
For the record, we spent nearly three weeks abroad—visiting Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Paris, Normandy, and London (in that order). Not once did we encounter hostility or anti-American sentiment. In fact, some of the kindest and most helpful people we met were (surprisingly, to some) in France. When the clueless American tourists—yes, that was us—couldn’t figure out how to open the train door and missed our stop in Bayeux, two Frenchmen politely stepped in to help us out. No judgment, just kindness.
Since America seems to take a fair amount of flak these days—often from within—we’ve decided that a single day of patriotic celebration isn’t enough. This year, we’re kicking things off early with a July 3rd picnic among friends and family. And the Fourth will carry a deeper meaning.
Because amid the flags and fireworks, we’ll be thinking about the sacrifices Americans made at places like Utah Beach—where we stood just a few weeks ago. Our soldiers have fought not just for our own freedoms, but for those around the world who lacked them. And there are people in other countries who still appreciate what Americans have done in the name of liberty, even if we, at times, forget ourselves.
One day to remember it all just doesn’t feel like enough.