Celebrating the freedoms we take for granted

As we close July 2023, a lot of you took some time for Independence Day and celebrated the freedoms that we too often take for granted. Or, even if you didn’t spend the day with activities, hopefully during this month, you have been reminded of those freedoms and recognized our responsibility to honor, maintain, and clarify those freedoms every day.

Mostly these freedoms are associated with rights — the right to free speech, for example, or to worship freely, assemble peaceably, petition the government, and to due process of law.

But there are other freedoms — our inner freedoms, that can make life more rewarding and pleasant.

That’s those quality-of-life options, our own choices, that have more to do with limitations we put on ourselves by not taking advantage of these freedoms. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• To choose our attitude, even when we have no choice over the circumstances.

• To decide not to take things personally.

• To talk things out in difficult situations instead of holding back.

• To laugh when everything around us seems to be falling apart.

• To breathe.

• To smile.

• To center.

• To be curious.

• To see the good in people.

• To serve others around us. These are only a few of the overlooked, but lasting freedoms each of us could use to make a difference not only in our own life, but in the lives of those around us.

Looking closely at this list, it occurred to me that our forefathers “lived” these freedoms as they scripted our Declaration of

Independence and sought liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all of us. Their work continues into perpetuity, and likewise our endowment funds provide funding for charitable causes in our community, working to serve our community.

Lasting freedoms for others is assured by way of endowment funds for charitable purposes in our community. Are you ready to establish your charitable fund? For information, contact us at 501-372-1007, or email hotspringsarea@arcf.org.