Just yesterday, I sat down to craft this blog, filled with thoughts stirred by the upcoming July Fourth celebrations—a time of year that always sweeps me back to my childhood joys.
To better connect with my team, I’ve introduced an “Innerview” consisting of 18 questions we ask each other. One favorite question is, “What’s a childhood memory that stands out?”
My answer is always the same: July Fourth.
Growing up, I lived on a cul-de-sac and during July Fourth, the entire cul-de-sac (about 10 neighborhood families) would gather. They’d all chip in to buy fireworks and we’d have a big potluck BBQ in the middle of the street. Each family brought their own meat to BBQ and potluck dishes—baked beans, a salad, desert—for everyone to enjoy. After we devoured a delectable summer meal, we’d set off the fireworks and celebrate the Fourth of July.
Even just writing about those childhood BBQs right now makes me smile.
But I don’t just love c for its youthful nostalgia. I also love it because it’s a celebration of teamwork coming together for the greater good.
Imagine we’re not in 2024 but in 1776. Most of the 13 colonies have been in existence for more than 150 years. There’s a strong middle-class economy in development made up of farmers, artisans, lawyers and tradespeople. Everyone travels by horse-drawn carriages. Food is prepared by the heat of a wood-burning fire. The American Revolution, which had begun in April 1775 was still raging and colonists were deeply passionate about winning their independence.
In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson sat down to pen the Declaration of Independence, and on July 2, the Continental Congress declared freedom from Great Britain. And on August 2, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.
So, if the document was written in June, declared July 2nd (not 4th) and signed in August, what are we celebrating on July Fourth?
This.
After independence was declared, the Continental Congress needed a document to explain to the public what had happened. A smaller committee proposed the draft on July 2, and it took two days for the wording of the Declaration of Independence to be approved. With that consent, the completed document was sent to a printer named John Dunlap, who printed 200 copies of the document. When the printed copies of the Declaration of Independence were distributed, the date on the document said July 4, 1776.
So, what’s the message? July Fourth is of course a celebration of America’s independence but on another level, it’s a time to look back on what teamwork can achieve. Had the Continental Congress not been able to come to an agreement that the document was complete, had there been less synergy, less positive culture and less collaboration between them, the date of our independence might have been different—if it even happened at all. This week, although I’m not back on my old cul-de-sac enjoying the deliciously smoky taste of just-barbecued steaks, I will be with my family and friends, thinking about our country and the team that instilled the ideal of a nation where freedom should always ring.
Happy Fourth of July!
This article is adapted from Blefari’s weekly, company-wide “Thoughts on Leadership” column from HomeServices of America.
