It’s July 4^th weekend – Let freedom ring! It’s a time to consciously appreciate this beautiful country.

Coincidentally, it was also July 4^th three years ago that I set out for Spain . . . for a walk to freedom. Now bear with me, please. I wasn’t looking for or feeling a need for freedom, but that’s what I got. On my first night on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) trail, from within me I heard the word absolution. I scoffed. I don’t need absolution! I don’t need forgiveness.

The inner voice responded, Yes, you do. You need absolution from yourself to yourself. 

I took a moment to look up the word in my iPhone’s online dictionary. Maybe I’m missing something. What does that word even mean? I read that absolution is “a formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment.” Ah, the message is becoming clearer. Then in further investigation I traced the word to an old English root which hits even closer to home: to loosen, to set free. Yes! Yes, I received absolution while on that Camino journey . . . absolution from myself. I was loosened and set free from guilt, and it feels wonderful.

I’m reminded of that as we once again approach July 4^th, the day our country’s forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence which set us free as a nation. That’s a different situation, I know. But still, it’s freedom. And I think . . .

How wonderful it would be if we could also use this date as a mark in time to reflect on our lives. What if we would accept absolution and forgive ourselves? What if we would set ourselves free from guilt? Then we would really know freedom. That would add a whole new depth of understanding to our thoughts and experiences of freedom.  Today, with that in mind, I say, “Let freedom ring!”