My poem for lady liberty
"Thus, come forth and follow my golden light. The path you take will be a delight."
She says this out of respect
The respect in which freedom is here
She wants the immigrants to know that they are near
She holds up her hand with the golden torch. Thus, they can come forth
She shows her courage and strength
So that others can leave their tank
She is showing us all the way
In which migrants don't have to obey. They have the choice of freedom now, And with all might, she'll show us how
The statue of liberty still stands today
To show the immigrants why they came
In the now, we have our pledge, and we are proud. We scream "liberty and justice for all."
To say that we are independent and free now
No more chains and no more fear
This is why lady liberty wanted us here. She still stands over us today
And this is the message she will always say
The poem is from my 14-year-old daughter, Sophia. Her assignment for language arts class was to write a poem about the Statue of Liberty, and this is what she produced. I share it with you not just because I am a proud father but to remind us what the word freedom stands for.
The Statue of Liberty is a monument built to symbolize a guiding light to a better place. It is an idea manifested.
Guiding Light
Over the past couple of years, we have lived through a global pandemic, homeschooling, work from home, masks, and now a war between Ukraine and Russia. As a result, we have had a lot to be with over this short time. I believe my daughter's poem speaks to the beauty in our fragile but resilient democracy.
The golden light Sophia spoke about is the beacon of love. No matter how dark or foggy our lives may be, the light is always there to show us the way. What light you ask? The brilliant light of love that is constantly offered to us by small acts of kindness to each other.
We Always Show Up
Remember how restaurants started to donate food to hospital workers within weeks of the shutdown? When there was a mask shortage, moms and children began to sew masks out of household cloth and give them to first responders, medical staff, and needy individuals. Likewise, a group of local businesses specializing in marketing services offers pro bono work for disadvantaged companies. Furthermore, John Krasinski highlighted good news from around the world on his YouTube channel so that we could relax for a few minutes and witness the beauty of humanity.
Our courage and strength have constantly reminded others that you can accomplish anything if you try. Many of us are inspired by how Ukrainians are galvanizing and pushing back on the aggression from Russia. I believe that this is a signal from humankind that we will no longer tolerate old ways of thinking. Human rights, individualism, and the ability to support those in need are the cornerstone of being human. I see a significant shift in people from around the world.
Over 247 years ago, Patrick Henry gave a speech on March 23, 1775, signaled the coming revolution when he spoke at a Virginia convention and implored: "Give me liberty or give me death!" The central idea of Patrick's message was that it was time for the Colonists to take action against the tyranny of the British.
The New Normal
The American people could no longer stand by and take orders from a larger, more militarily superior country. Against all odds, the rag-tag group of American men and women would prevail over the most powerful nation on earth at the time.
As hard or different the last couple of years have been for you, consider all that has happened. You had time to sit back and reconsider how you lived your life until March 2020 and what you wanted to do differently.
Many people decided they had enough of working for companies where their values didn't align. For example, a long commute, too many hours away from family, little or no healthcare from the employer, and pay did not rise with the cost of living.
The result was the great resignation of 2021. Based on PEW Research, workers who quit a job in 2021 say low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%), and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were reasons why they quit, according to their recent survey. At least a third say each of these was a significant reason they left.
Here is My Offer
Roughly half say child care issues were why they quit a job (48% among those with a child younger than 18 in the household). A similar share point to a lack of flexibility to choose when they put in their hours (45%) or not having good benefits such as health insurance and paid time off (43%). Roughly a quarter say each of these was a compelling reason.
Recognize Me
A new day is dawning, and you, my friends, are witnessing it in real-time. We are and have always been a free people. It is in our DNA to know our worthiness, and we can not be convinced otherwise. The old guard has lost control of the narrative. Fear is not the motivating factor anymore, and we will not tolerate mistruths. The power to create has always been with you; it has just waited for you to recognize it.
Therefore, to honor Sophia's poem, we look at the Statue of Liberty and peer at the tablet in her hand. The inscription reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776). The date of the Declaration of Independence. In other words, we declared our freedom on that date; we won the war when the Continental Army forced the British to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. Some 5 years later...
We Are United
I end this blog with a line from Sophia's poem: In the now, we have our pledge, and we are proud. We scream "liberty and justice for all."
