It’s been a picture perfect 4th of July — a day filled with family, friends, barbecues and fireworks.  As I was preparing my traditional 7-layer salad, I started thinking.  Is there so much Independence Day hype that we overlook the historical significance?

Oops!  I’m definitely a guilty mother-in-law here!  I quickly looked up the well-known quote from the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” You’d think I’d know those 13 words by heart, but I still had to look up the exact phrase.

On a historical day like Independence Day, maybe each of us should break from the hoopla and reflect on those important words — for they declare inclusion for all people.  Historically, mothers-in-law have experienced exclusion. We’ve been the subject of unkind jokes and unfair criticism. Stereotypes.

As women, in general, we’ve all experienced inequities. Maybe we’ve earned lower pay compared to a male counterpart doing the same job.  Maybe we’ve been the victims of sexual harassment.  Maybe we’re expected to do the womanly thing, like preparing all the food for the family 4th of July picnic! The point is we know how it feels to be treated less than — or to be pigeonholed.

It doesn’t take a Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou or Amelia Earhart, as wonderful as they were, to make a real difference.  We are all called to be better people, to be better mothers-in-law — to be patriots in our own unique ways.  Now, go munch another hot dog — and have a wonderful 4th of July!