On Independence, and the Quiet Kind of Freedom

This morning — muy temprano, before the grills started warming, before the flags went up — I went for a walk.

The air was still, the sky beginning to glow, and I passed a vecino. He gave a quiet wave. Just that — a simple, human gesture.

It made me wonder: isn’t that what today is really about?

Freedom. Dignity. Belonging. Libertad, dignidad, pertenencia.

Especially today, it’s easy to mistake freedom for noise — fireworks, declarations, winning arguments.

But freedom… can feel fragile. Something we could lose if we stop noticing it. Or stop offering it to others.

Maybe freedom is how we make our friends and neighbors feel safe to simply be.

How we choose to meet each other halfway. How we decide to keep trying.

Celebrate today. Absolutely. But also protect it — in small ways:

Offer the wave.

Speak kindly.

Notice the quiet dignity in just being able to walk, choose, disagree, love.

What would it look like if we honored that quiet kind of freedom — for everyone — even tomorrow?

Reflective July 4th. Stay grounded.

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