This Fourth of July marks something rare. The United States of America turns 250, a milestone that only a handful of nations ever reach. Two and a half centuries of generation spanning decisions without ever knowing how things would turn out.
It’s easy to forget how much patience it takes to build something lasting. Our nation’s founders planted things they’d never see grow. So did the generations after them, each one adding to something they trusted others would carry forward. The most meaningful things tend to take shape slowly, long after the people who started them are gone.
A country, like anything built to last, isn’t the work of a single lifetime. It’s built by people willing to begin something they won’t be around to finish.