Happy Fourth of July

Dear Friends,

Well, there is much to be disheartened by. The passage of that bill is so disappointing. Not surprising, but still disappointing. I am so sad and upset over it. It represents so much of what is wrong with this country, and its implications will be disastrous for many, including disabled people.

So that is heavy on my heart.

But I still feel like celebrating today. And a big reason is that I became a U.S. citizen on Wednesday! It was so emotional to stand up and take the Oath of Allegiance. It feels great to have this more secure status. I am so ready to vote!

There is so much work to do to make this country better. But it has a lot of good, too. And I am eager to be a more active part of this democracy.

I will celebrate with family and friends today. My first Independence Day as an American!

Thank you to Tara for guiding me through this process. We had the best day downtown to celebrate the occasion, with a cool coffee shop, riding the trolley, and lunch in Little Italy. We had planned to make a whole day of it because I love being immersed in urban energy. But we didn’t realize how much we would have to celebrate because we didn’t know I would be taking the oath that day. We thought I would just be doing my citizenship interview. The interviewer was so kind and we were so shocked and happy when she said I could do the ceremony right after.

I hope you all find something hopeful to celebrate, related to today’s holiday or not. Hope is not a luxury. We need to foster and guard it.

Your Friend,

Danny