So many people want to believe everything is okay. Everything is very much not okay. It’s impossible for me to know everything is not okay, but live in a way that denies that truth.

I refuse to celebrate illusions of freedom. I prefer to celebrate things that are true, things that are real, things that are actually worthy of celebration.

I celebrate the people who know freedom is an illusion and make art anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and delight in beauty anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and love their neighbors anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and sing and dance and feast and enjoy the good things in this world anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and reject the scarcity mindset anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and rest anyway.

I celebrate those who know freedom is an illusion and know there are things worthy of celebrating anyway.

In the face of oppression and injustice and violence, I refuse to pretend everything is okay. I’m not going to watch any fireworks on July 4th because it doesn’t feel good and true to me to do so right now. But I’m still going to celebrate things worthy of celebration with people I love anyway.

May God bless this country. May the Light continue to shine in the dark corners where the evil things tend to hide. May we continue to see more clearly the illusions that are disguised as truth. May we work against injustice, oppression, and violence. And may we hold plenty of space for nourishment and delight, too.

Charlotte Donlon helps her readers and clients notice how they belong to themselves, others, God, and the world. Charlotte is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder of Spiritual Direction for Writers™ and Parenting with Art™. She is also the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. Her next book is about parenting with art. To receive Charlotte’s latest updates, news, announcements, and other good things, subscribe to her email newsletter.