It’s not every day that anything begins its 250th year, so I’m stoked to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America.
This is the nation that made me proof of the American Dream. I was born into poverty and even ended up homeless for a brief period during my first year of adulthood. But through hard work and continued efforts I have been able to build a healthy happy life for myself.
When I was a kid we lived in rinky-dink apartments and moved quite a bit. I’d never lived anywhere longer than 6 years. My parents always struggled for money because of mismanagement and my father’s drinking binges, and I had trouble focusing in the institutionalized education system that didn’t appreciate my inability to sit still and my thirst to do real things.
But because the Land of Opportunity rewards those who strive to do something with themselves, I have been able to give my children a stable life and love the land they were born on. (Yep I do homebirths). I can squeeze a dollar out of a rock and have scrimped and saved to ensure that my children are able to enjoy some fun while also being taught the value of hard work and financial literacy.
I’ve never been to Washington D.C. or Mount Rushmore, but we’re planning to hit both within the 250th year of our nation. I’d love to squeeze in a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, too, but we’ll see if that’s feasible or if it may have to wait just a little longer.
Either way, I want to know what YOU appreciate about this nation?
We have more rights than any people anywhere else and that is a beautiful gift that we should never take for granted.
Read more about it in my latest op-ed for RSBN:
Jessica Marie Baumgartner 