Sunday we’ll celebrate the 4th of July with noise–marches played by the parade bands, loud conversations of people enjoying picnics in backyards and the booms of evening fireworks. Pets will hide to avoid the cacophony.
Let’s take a few minutes to ponder the meaning of these familiar words from the Declaration of Independence written in 1776. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” When I was in school, teachers assured me that the term Men included Women and I took their word for it.
In our free country, we each have our own definition of happiness. My family and my writing are the major components of mine. When our oldest child, Linda, started first grade in 1966, she was psychologically tested, diagnosed as retarded and referred to special education classes. My plan to return to a part-time office job as soon as Lisa and Kurt also entered school evaporated, but not my desire to be more than “just a housewife.” In looking for a job I could do at home, I became a community correspondent reporting local happenings to the Rockford Morning Star, the area daily newspaper serving the small towns surrounding the city. I soon realized I had found my calling as a journalist. The occupation had never crossed my mind when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
When my mother reached the age that she needed my help, Linda was done with school and at home all of the time. I quit writing so I could continue to tend to Linda and provide the aid Mom needed to remain in her own house here in Durand. I was sure nothing I could write would be as important as caring for my family. I found another aspect of happiness.
How do you define happiness?