Finding Reasons to Be Proud
Every Independence Day invites us to reflect on our nation—not only on where we have been, but also on who we are becoming.
This year, I found myself asking a simple question:
What still fills me with pride?
In today's world, that question can feel surprisingly difficult to answer. We are surrounded by headlines that often emphasize division over unity, conflict over compassion, and fear over possibility.
Yet, when I look beyond the headlines, I discover extraordinary people quietly reminding us of the very best humanity has to offer.
Rowing Across an Impossible Ocean
This week, Kelsey Pfendler completed one of the greatest feats in modern endurance sports.
After departing Monterey, California, on May 21, she rowed alone more than 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean, arriving in Hawaii on July 4 in just 43 days, 17 hours, and 55 minutes. In doing so, she shattered the overall solo speed record, became the first American woman to complete the crossing solo, and became the youngest person ever to accomplish the feat.(Outside Online)
Her accomplishment reminds me that perseverance still exists.
Discipline still exists.
Human courage still exists.
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Walking Toward Peace
Another image that continues to inspire me is that of Buddhist monks walking thousands of miles across America.
Their pilgrimage was never about speed.
It was about presence.
Step by step, they demonstrated that peace is not merely an idea—it is a daily practice rooted in compassion, mindfulness, and service to others.
In a culture that often rewards the loudest voices, they quietly reminded us that gentleness is also strength.
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Reaching for the Moon Once Again'
One of the moments that has filled me with the greatest sense of pride this year was NASA's Artemis II mission.
For the first time in more than half a century, human beings once again journeyed around the Moon.
On April 1, 2026, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifted off aboard the Orion spacecraft atop NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket. Their ten-day mission marked humanity's first crewed voyage beyond low-Earth orbit since the Apollo era. (The Washington Post)
As the crew rounded the far side of the Moon on April 6, they traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history. During the seven-hour lunar flyby, they documented the Moon's rugged landscape, observed a total solar eclipse from deep space, and captured one of the most breathtaking photographs ever taken—the now-famous "Earthset," showing our blue planet slowly disappearing behind the Moon's horizon. The image immediately drew comparisons to the iconic Earthrise photograph taken during Apollo 8 in 1968. (NASA)
To me, Artemis II represents far more than a successful space mission.
It represents curiosity over fear.
It represents collaboration over division.
It represents the courage to explore places no human has visited in generations.
The crew included the first woman to travel around the Moon, Christina Koch; the first Black astronaut, Victor Glover; and the first Canadian, Jeremy Hansen, to make the journey. Together, they demonstrated that exploration is strongest when it reflects the diversity of humanity itself. (Le Monde.fr)
As I watched the mission unfold, I was reminded that some of humanity's greatest accomplishments happen when people dedicate themselves to a shared purpose that transcends politics, geography, and personal differences.
Looking toward the Moon reminded me that there is still so much left to discover.
Sometimes hope is found by looking upward.
Sometimes the future begins with four courageous people willing to leave Earth behind.
Pride with Integrity (and Intelligence)
One event that deeply moved me this year was the dedication and opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
On June 18, 2026, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, three former presidents, civic leaders, artists, educators, and thousands of citizens gathered for the dedication ceremony. The campus officially opened to the public the following day on Juneteenth. The Center includes a presidential museum, public library, athletic facilities, gardens, classrooms, and community spaces designed to inspire future generations through public service, leadership, and civic engagement.(Obama Foundation)
What inspires me most is not simply the architecture.
It is the vision.
It represents investing in young people.
It represents believing that leadership begins within local communities.
It represents hope made tangible.
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Looking Deeper
Sometimes it feels as though we are living in an upside-down world.
It can be difficult to identify examples of integrity.
It can be difficult to see hope.
As America celebrates 250 years, I admit there are days when I struggle to answer the question:
What am I proud of?
But when I look more deeply, I find remarkable examples.
A woman rows alone across one of the largest oceans on Earth.
Monks devote months to walking for peace.
Astronauts continue expanding humanity's understanding of our universe.
Communities invest in places dedicated to education, service, and future generations.
These moments may not dominate every headline.
Yet they remind me that goodness has never disappeared.
It has simply continued its work—quietly.
Perhaps hope has always looked like this.
Perhaps our future will be built, not by those who shout the loudest, but by those who quietly demonstrate courage, compassion, curiosity, perseverance, and integrity.
These are the moments that make me proud.
These are the moments that remind me to keep believing in tomorrow.
