Austin, TX…To a lot of people, 250 years might sound like a long time to be a country. But it’s really not. Because America isn’t just a country — it’s an idea. A land that has never quite been “yet.” And that “yet” we keep chasing? That’s the whole point.

We’re never going to fully arrive. And that’s not failure. That’s by design. We didn’t found this nation on proof. We founded it on a belief worth fighting for — a wager worth betting on — an act of faith that a self-governing people could become something extraordinary.

Here we are, 250 years later. The bet is still on the table. We haven’t cashed in… and let’s pray we never do. We need skeptics — people who care enough to question. We don’t need cynics. The cynic has already quit.

So today, as we celebrate 250 years of independence, let’s look around: What have we built?
What have we restored?
What is still standing?
What has fallen by the wayside?
What’s gone forever?

In the best of us, I see 250 years of showing up — arguing, loving, losing, forgiving, starting over, and believing in who we are and who we can still become. That’s the “yet” we’re chasing.

So light the fire. Break the bread. Raise a glass to your family, your friends… and maybe even to the neighbor you don’t agree with. Let the kids run barefoot after dark.

This celebration isn’t about arriving. It’s about still being on the journey. Take inventory — with the person in the mirror and with each other. Here’s to more dancing in the home of the brave.

Happy 250th, America. Just keep going.