America isn’t perfect. No nation is. But somewhere along the way, we’ve become so focused on everything that’s wrong with our country that we’ve forgotten to appreciate everything that’s right.
America marks 250 years this year, and it’s worth taking a moment to look back. Just think about what has happened in two and a half centuries. A nation that began as just thirteen colonies became the most influential democracy in the world. America has pioneered life-saving medical breakthroughs, changed the way the world communicates, put a man on the moon, and built an economy where people from every corner of the globe still come chasing opportunity.
But America’s greatest accomplishment isn’t our economy, our military, or our technology. It’s freedom.
The freedom to speak your mind without fear.
The freedom to worship however you choose.
The freedom to start a business, pursue an education, vote for your leaders, and build a life that’s entirely your own.
These freedoms aren’t normal; they’re incredibly rare. Billions of people alive today don’t enjoy the liberties most Americans experience every single day. Yet because we’ve always had them, it’s easy to forget just how extraordinary they really are.
Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending America has never made mistakes. Every nation has. It means having enough perspective to recognize that, despite our imperfections, there has never been another nation that has expanded freedom and opportunity quite like the United States of America has.
We seem to have become a nation that’s forgotten how to be grateful. Social media rewards outrage. The news profits from bad headlines. We’re constantly told what’s broken, who’s to blame, and why America is “failing.” But what if, just for a moment, we stopped asking, “What’s wrong with America?” and started asking, “What has America made possible?” Because the answer is remarkable.
It has made possible the freedom to disagree.
The freedom to dream.
The freedom to fail and try again.
The freedom to believe that where you start doesn’t have to determine where you finish.
These ideas have inspired people for 250 years.
This anniversary isn’t just about looking back. It’s about remembering what we’ve inherited and deciding what we’re going to do with it. It’s time America enters this milestone with gratitude. Gratitude for those who built this country. Gratitude for those who defended it. Gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy every day without even thinking about them.
Because if we lose our gratitude, we lose our perspective.
And if we can rediscover that gratitude, I think we’ll rediscover something else too—a renewed appreciation for the incredible privilege of calling ourselves Americans.
Sage Lloyd is the current president of the Utah Valley University chapter of Turning Point USA and UVU College Republicans. She's majoring in strategic communications with a focus on public relations, with minors in political science and professional writing studies.
