Hi Reader,

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The Fourth of July was the first time I got drunk. My family had a yard party every year, with a keg that us kids snuck cupfuls of beer from. We weren’t that stealth so I don’t know why the adults didn’t stop us. Maybe they chalked it up to “the things kids do.” I just remember stumbling and knocking over a side table later that night.
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No one talked about the significance of the day. We stuck a flag on the fence, ate hot dogs and burgers, lit fireworks in the parking lot across the street, and called it a fun time.
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So patriotism wasn’t instilled in me.

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You won’t see any flags flying in my front yard (or streaming from my car like the president is hiding inside).
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I don’t say God Bless America! or put my hand on my heart during the national anthem.
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And I think our political system is a steaming crockpot full of shit.
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But with the country so divided and the trope that only conservatives are patriotic, I’ve decided to claim patriotism for myself.
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My patriotism isn’t for what America is, it’s for what America is supposed to be.
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👁️

I think of the view of America from an immigrant’s eyes. It offers relief from religious persecution, release from political prison, and an opportunity to raise one’s family without bombs bursting in air even if you're crammed 6 to a bedroom.

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I think of the view of America for my ancestors. Most of them came from England in the early 1600s. There were a few from Ireland that arrived in the 1700s, and the stragglers from France and Germany that came in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s unclear why the later folks immigrated, but it’s pretty clear my ancestors from England saw America as a place to pursue religious freedom.

Then I think of the founding fathers whose view of their new country is that it would serve their needs. The rules they established, understandably, were designed to ensure their freedom (and those that looked like them, penises and all) into the future.
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That’s a lovely vision. A bit limiting with the “man” part but patriarchy was all the rage. I like that it says “their Creator” instead of “God” as it allows folks to have different ideas of who their Creator is.
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The whole point of founding a new country was to create a place free of the monarchy, religious oppression, and economic restrictions. And I am certain they saw people who looked like them — male and white — as the only ones to rule it. Others could be there. The indigenous people if they stayed out of the way. The enslaved people who fueled the economy. And women who ran the households. But none of them had a right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Sounds fine if you were a white guy.
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So when I think of folks who claim their patriotism by wrapping themselves in flags, shouting about their rights, and generally appearing very discontent, I wonder about their view of the country.

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Why do they adore the Declaration of Independence when it's primarily a list of grievances against the King of England? Why are they shouting about the sanctity of the original Constitution when it just outlines how the government will run and it's what we do? Why do they rail about the right to bear arms when they already have that right (it finally shows up in the Bill of Rights)?

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I don’t do any of those things and yet I’m just as adamant in my patriotism. Only my version looks forward, not back.

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What makes me patriotic — "devoted to and vigorously supporting my country" — is holding this country accountable, insisting that America becomes the country it envisioned itself to be.
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What the United States is celebrating today is independence. That all people are “...endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
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Not just for some folks but for every single citizen — even if it wasn’t in the original documents — because we are good people who always want to do better. No one wants to be oppressed. That’s the promise we were founded on.
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Tonight, I will eat hotdogs and burgers. Pour my gluten-free beer into a red Silo cup for proper effect. Set off some fireworks. I'll celebrate the independence I have and pledge to end the oppression of others.

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I’ll hold America and myself to this promise. Please join me.

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The weekly vlog/blog. In this week's vlog, I share how my practice for meditation started, and how I created it to actually be FUN. So I do it every day. 60 days straight and counting!

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I also talk about my 3 principles of self-care and how you can design a meditation practice (or whatever you choose) that you love and can’t wait to do it.

​Click here to watch​
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Get a notice as soon as they are posted: Vlog or Blog​

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On sale this week:

Get Independent - become a doula!
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25% off Becoming a Birth Doula training​

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Now through July 7 @ midnight

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Use coupon code ‘independence’ (all lowercase)

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What I'm listening to, reading, and watching:

​If I Ain’t Got You — Alicia Keys. After hearing the all-woman classical orchestra version of this on Queen Charlotte, it has earwormed its way into my head.

​In Shock — Dr. Rana Awdish. The riveting true story of a young critical care physician, who suddenly becomes a dying patient. Her experience reveals the fatal flaws of her profession — the construct of medical training, the conventional practice of medicine, and the misguided standards of care — to illuminate the dysfunction of disconnection. Ultimately, she outlines a new and better future for Western medicine.

​​Queen Charlotte — Yeah, I got totally sucked in. I love the analogy of “the Great Experiment,” and of course the beautiful scenery and over-the-top costumes. And you can’t beat whatever Shonda Rhimes does with a musical soundtrack. Netflix.

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What are you listening to, reading, or watching that you think I’d like? Reply and let me know.

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Let me know if there's anything special you'd like to hear about in the coming weeks. Just reply and I'm on it!

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Thanks for reading,

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Carrie

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Carrie

Becoming a Birth Doula

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