"The first of earthly blessings, independence." ~ Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)
Independence. It's a big word, and one that held a lot of meaning for our forefathers who wrote the Declaration of Independence 231 years ago. It seems like a long time ago, but then it's so relatively recent compared with some of these quotes we read here, some dating back thousands of years. I remember when our country celebrated it's bicentennial in 1976. In my hometown, Brooklyn, New York, all the fire hydrants were painted red, white and blue to celebrate! I was just a little kid then, so I don't think I really understood the significance of that day. But I do now. Independence is indeed a blessing.