Weekend self-care open thread: On this 4th of July

Another turn of the earth around the sun is completed, and we come again to this country's birthday.

This country has only fitfully lived up to its founding ideals. Those ideals have often been denied to too many of its citizens. We have struggled to make those principles real and applicable to everyone who lives from coast to coast, from Canada to Mexico and beyond.

But the ideals matter. They are the way we know if we're failing or succeeding. Too many of our fellow citizens no longer believe in those ideals, because they feel they'll lose power and privilege if they're ever fully implemented. And too many of our fellow citizens are lost in apathy or despondency, saying the ideals were never real, and at any rate we're doomed to a dystopian future.

On this Fourth of July, after four years during which this nation came to the brink of jettisoning any beliefs it once had, I'm more confident that ever that the moral arc of the universe is bending towards justice. I have no time for those lost in gloom; those people have never created anything. And I have no time for those who want to bury all that we strive for as a people, because they feel cast out from their once high positions; they are yesterday's men and women. I stand with the men and women who struggle to perfect this Union, in spite of the odds. I stand with those who bask in hope and optimism, for those are the people who move the world. I am my brother's and sister's keeper, because we can't make it in this life on our own.

There are still many roadblocks. This won't be a smooth journey. But have no doubt that we're moving forward. We have no other choice than to keep on with the work of our ancestors. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of them, ourselves, and those to whom we hope to leave this world.

Happy July 4th, everyone. Be good to yourselves and those around you.