I’m someone who loves US history, who loves the US, and who loves holidays. So usually the 4th of July is a great occasion for me. This year…well, I’m struggling to really celebrate the day. Not that I don’t love recognizing the start of what I still believe to be a great country and a great experiment. But as the day that will be known as the day President Trump signed the greatest transfer of money and benefits from the poorest of Americans to the richest of Americans, I’m struggling to find the joy.

To put things into context, let’s look at Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. He gave his fiancee a ring that reportedly is worth $25 million. Then he sent her and some other women on an 11 minute trip to space that journalists say cost a potential of $40 million. He followed up with an extravagant wedding that is said to have cost up to $50 million. So that’s over $100 million just around his relationship.

For him, that’s small change. Because Jeff Bezos reportedly makes $8 million AN HOUR, all 24 hours a day. The federal minimum wage in our country is less that $8 an hour, and only applies for the hours being worked.

So I have a hard time celebrating a bill that gives Jeff Bezos tax breaks while denying health care and food to children and families and veterans and seniors who are trying to survive on that less-than-$8.00/hour wage.

Fortunately, I have two wise women to help me reclaim my bliss on this most American of holidays.

The first is the wonderful writer Annie Lamott. Today The Washington Post published her opinion piece:

Does Trumpland chaos bode better times ahead? I say yes. Happy Fourth!
If difficult times mean something good is trying to be born, let’s celebrate this Independence Day. (click here to read)

I won’t diminish her beautiful writing by my repetition other than to say she shares the idea from many great thinkers that mess and confusion and difficult times often occur during times of transformation. And we can determine which way the transformation goes. I have a subscription to The Washington Post that allows me to share a limited number of gift articles to others, so you should be able to read her article at this link: https://wapo.st/3GuY4xL

Secondly, I loved this video from an educator I ADORE: Heather Cox Richardson, who writes the free and EXCELLENT daily newsletter, Letters from an American (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com). While she acknowledges we may feel bad in the moment, we should continue moving towards our goals with joy. Again, we need to rise about what we are experiencing “what is” in the moment, and utilize the power of joy or bliss to create the future we want to see.

My spiritual center believes Spirit is in it all…we just need to discover it or trust it or surrender to it. But being angry or hateful or negative just adds negativity to the world. Let’s try to find ways to be positive and loving and blissful, even when the things we are confronting in the physical world are…not necessarily leading us to feel that way.

Please find ways to celebrate our country today. Choose Bliss!