The freedoms we enjoy in this great country are deeply important to me and to all of us at Secured Retirement. As a proud veteran of the US Marine Corps, I carry with me the honor and responsibility of those formative years. I am grateful to be among the generations who have served our nation.
It’s often said, but it bears repeating: Freedom isn’t free. It requires immense sacrifice from the courageous few.
The Fourth of July invites us to reflect on the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that our founding fathers bestowed upon us. This ideal is so precious to my family and me that we actively seek opportunities to celebrate our homeland and its values throughout the year.
One organization particularly close to our hearts is Folds of Honor, a non-profit that provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military personnel. This spring, I attended a fundraiser they held at The Patriot Golf Club in Oklahoma.
The entire weekend, full of camaraderie, stories, presentations, and patriotism was incredibly moving. Hearing from the families of the fallen was a sobering reminder of the high cost of freedom, and proof that courage and determination have the power to unlock brighter futures.
The experience left such an impact on me that on the final night, after dinner, I approached the organizers and asked if it were possible to purchase one of the flags they had displayed during the event as a memento. They graciously gifted it to me.
That same flag will hang proudly in front of my home this July 4th weekend, as it does every day. Out there, waving in the summer breeze, it is a reminder of how 13 colonies became our 50 states. It is a reminder of the hope, dreams, and perseverance of those who came before us, and the banding together of people that carried us here.
This Fourth of July, I encourage you to take a moment to give thanks for this nation and its abundant resources, for the extraordinary sacrifices of everyday people, and for the full lives we’ve built in this land of the free.
God bless America.
