As we celebrate our freedom from the tyranny of being ruled by a country across the ocean, I would like to be able to celebrate freedom for all of us in this country: black, white, brown, Native Americans, Asian Americans, LGBTQ, immigrants, refugees, and all other people who call the US home. This is a huge country; there is room for all of us to live peacefully and together. I’m not sure why we aren’t doing a better job of that.

Giving others freedom does not reduce our own; it only enhances the diversity and richness of our society. It makes us more interesting as a people and culturally inclusive. It gives us opportunities to grow and learn about other ways of living and being.

I have a difficult time with the lack of acceptance by some people of those who are even slightly different, let alone very different, from themselves. I love to learn about other cultures and how others live their lives. It makes a vibrant life for me. And yet some people seem to be afraid to let others into their narrow lives. It’s as if those “others” are somehow wrong or invasive. They aren’t.

I wrote the following poem looking to find where I stand and what I feel:

A Freedom Prayer to the Universe

Let freedom ring.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive our shortcomings,
but teach us to overcome them, too.
Help us to keep fear at bay
and permit others to live as they wish.
Show us how to incorporate differences
into our lives and celebrate them.
Let us share with others what we have;
there is plenty of everything to go around.
May we take a hand; give a heart;
bloom into a beautiful flower
that lights up a world that can be.
Help us start from the bottom
and work up to higher ground
where the air is fresh and free.
May we be brave and purposeful,
open and kind, accepting and inclusive.
Give our country peace
and freedom for everyone!

© 2021 Dorothy A Joslyn

Examine your prejudices and try to determine where they come from. How can you soften your stance and become more accepting of all people? This may take ongoing attention and writing.

What do you think you might lose if you extend the freedoms you have to others? Write about it until you really understand where you’re coming from.

Pick a line from the poem above and write about how it speaks to you.