Happy Fourth of July!

Lately, the news has made it hard to focus on the good things about America, but truly, we're unbelievably lucky to live in this country. That doesn't mean I think we're flawless (far from it) but that we have a lot to be thankful for. Some online friends reminded me of that, so here's what I'm thankful for on our national day of celebration:

• The Constitution, and how it protects me - and especially for the amazingly brave women who fought to enfranchise my gender. Go 19th Amendment!
• The beauty of this amazing land. I'm lucky enough to travel frequently for work, and every time I fly into a new city, looking out at a new horizon -- I just think an inarticulate - wow!
• A country where a Russian immigrant (my great-grandmother) could marry a man from Guatemala (my great-grandfather), and where their daughter would meet and marry a man whose family had been here since the 1630's. Living in a country of immigrants may be one of my favorite things about America, and I'm so, so blessed that because of my father's work, I've also had the opportunity to experience the culture of this country's native people firsthand. One of my hopes for this country is that we can repair the damage we've done to so many people of so many races and ethnicities, and I'm inspired every day by the amazing people I work with, who are working tirelessly for social justice and who give me that hope.
• That we are free to say what we want. We can criticize, cajole, exclaim, philosophize, preach - on street corners, online, on the phone, on TV. For the most part, this freedom is protected, and we are allowed to set up an outcry when we feel it is being infringed upon.
• The Wire. And yes, I do think it's the great American novel. It just happened to be on TV.
• Hip-hop.
• Huckleberries.
• The possibilities of a system where every child has the right to a free education that could take her to college. I know we're not there yet, but we're working on it.