What Does It Mean To Be Patriotic?

Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans reading this. I’ve spent my whole life in The United States and have always enjoyed the patriotic enthusiasm of the Fourth of July. When I was a kid, I grew up in a town that had literally once won a prize as an All-American City. It was the perfect embodiment of Midwest values, middle class America, and a nice diverse mix of people. On the Fourth of July, we would either march in the local parade or stand on the sidelines and cheer the parade on. It was a magical time and place and I’m forever grateful for such a truly American childhood.

With today’s political division and social media vitriol, it’s hard to feel the same way about America and this day. Yet maybe our growing pains are part of what it means to be Americans. Maybe we have to accept that as a nation we will sometimes feel very divided and very unsure of our future, and maybe patriotism is having faith that we will find our way. I certainly hope so. 

So much has changed since the idyllic days of my childhood. At times, I find myself struggling to summon up the pride and patriotism that I used to feel. Yet I’ll see young soldiers of both genders at the airport and my heart is filled with pride and gratitude for their service and commitment. Fourth of July parades now often include representatives from LGBTQ groups and again, I feel such joy that we have progressed so far as a nation to honor love in all its diversity and uniqueness. 

Finding Patriotism in Division and Struggle

Traveling to different countries has opened my eyes to other cultures that do some things far better than we do as Americans. Healthcare and insurance, child care, equal pay, and equal governmental representation to name a few areas in which we are sorely lacking. There are days that our country feels so sad and heavy when we see so many of our citizens dying from guns in the wrong hands and a lack of resources for a healthy and full life. Clearly we’ve got some great opportunities to do better.

Maybe that’s what American patriotism is all about…to honor the good and question the bad. Maybe it’s to challenge each other to grow our minds and our hearts so that all of our citizens can find health and some level of prosperity. As Americans, and as humans of this earth, we must realize that the success of all is beneficial to all and the opposite is also true. We must take care of each other in order to have a healthy and prosperous nation and world.

What if patriotism is not blind love of country, but the responsibility to honor the good and question the bad so we might become an even better nation? #patriotism #America #diversity #equality Click To Tweet

My childhood memories include the feeling of community with neighbors who cared for each other and a town that celebrated its members. Our doors were open to each other and the community thrived because of it. It’s an America that I hope we can come back to. One in which our leaders lead with kindness and unity and our citizens follow suit. Optimism and hope are two of the qualities that I love most about Americans and our beautiful country. I’m working to utilize both on this day and throughout the year. 

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC