Celebrate the Season

The holiday season is upon us. No, I'm not referring to those the frenzied days of parties and piling on credit card debt. It's the season--the six-week span from early November to mid-December-- that reminds us exactly of what it means to be an American. Perhaps at no other time of the year do we spend as much time reflecting on and participating in our democracy.

The season commences in early November with a pilgrimage to the polls to anoint our chosen leaders and repudiate those who have lead us astray. Like a secular confessional, we enter the voting booth, weigh critical decisions and unload our conscience. Afterwards, we celebrate--or mourn--and chart our national course for the coming year. On November 11, Veterans Day--the day that was intended to mark the cessation of the War to End All Wars--we acknowledge that grim irony and honor those who have laid down their lives to defend our nation. The fourth Thursday of the month, we gather on Thanksgiving Day with family and friends to show gratitude, honor the sacrifices of our ancestors, and celebrate the remarkable, if not controversial establishment of our culture in North America. On December 7, we mark the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. We remember that there are those who would seek to destroy our way of life and recognize the need to be vigilant in protecting it. Finally, the season culminates with Bill of Rights Day on December 15. Here, we remember the sacred ideals of America—to believe, to associate, to live as our consciences dictate and that those freedoms are endowed to us not by kings or presidents, but by nature.

I that we can all spend some time in the coming weeks to reflect on the blessings and costs of liberty. Here's to a great season and happy holidays!