This date is obviously an important one in American history.  It is the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted back in 1776 when we declared ourselves free from the British. Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson as the person responsible for drafting the declaration along with a committee.  Jefferson had several drafts of the declaration and even the copy he submitted to his committee was heavily edited before being presented to Congress for approval.

As many of you prepare for celebrations with BBQ and fireworks, I encourage you to take just a few minutes and read the words of the Declaration of Independence that our forefathers wrote.  There is anger, rebellion, hope, and power in the words.  The document itself still inspires us today and represents many of the feelings that Americans still hold true.   Although we declared our independence from Britain, we were also declaring our dependence and reliance on each other.   It is with that spirit that we still move forward in our daily lives.

Happy 4th of July!