COMMONWEALTH

Let’s remember: the Declaration of Independence famously states that all people are created equal, and that the government should protect certain inalienable rights, summed up in three words: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I strongly believe in and celebrate the Declaration of Independence. I strongly believe and celebrate Life. I strongly believe and celebrate Liberty. I strongly believe and celebrate the Pursuit of Happiness.

I also strongly believe there is an order of importance to these inalienable rights. The most important is Life. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are meaningless without Life.

I love Life. I love it so much that I believe Life is a gift to be respected and protected. Life has dignity. To pursue Liberty and Happiness is futile if Life itself is not valued.

Let’s continue ignoring the elephant in the room.

My sons play baseball. They love playing baseball. I love playing baseball. I love watching baseball. Baseball perfectly captures what it means to live. The greatest hitters in baseball succeed in only 30–39 percent of their at-bats. Read that again. The greatest hitters in the game succeed only 30–39 percent of the time. It’s just like life. We all have good days and bad days. We do not succeed at every opportunity. In fact, much of the time, we fail miserably. Yet even then, we can rejoice. Even the best hitters fail more often than they succeed—and yet the game goes on.

The coaches of my sons’ baseball teams always stress one point: your teammates are counting on you. In our leagues, if a play is being made at any base other than first, the base runner must slide, or else the runner advancing to first is called out. It’s about player safety. Inevitably, we have had runners fail to slide into second, resulting in a double-play. And the discussion follows: “Guys, you have to slide. Think about your teammates. Don’t let the team down.”

This is the heart of the lesson: life is not about putting yourself first. It’s about putting others first. It’s about making decisions that honor and protect the people around you, even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.

We are all part of a team—families, workplaces, schools, churches, and communities. Every decision we make has consequences for those around us. We must ask ourselves: am I living in a way that protects, supports, and uplifts others? Or am I ignoring the impact of my choices because I am focused only on myself?

My fear is that too often, we choose the comfort of the status quo, the ease of selfishness, or the pursuit of personal gain without regard for the people who depend on us. Like the baseball runner who refuses to slide, we put ourselves first and put others at risk. And sometimes, the consequences are catastrophic.

Let’s not let each other down. Let’s live with awareness and intentionality. Let’s value Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—but always in a way that honors the people around us. Let’s choose to “slide” for the good of the team.

Life is a gift. Liberty is a gift. Happiness is a gift. And the greatest way to honor all three is by putting others first.

Hey, how long has this elephant been in the room?