#1391 - Freedom

Today is Liberation Day in Italy, or as we call it, Festa della Liberazione. Today, we celebrate the liberation of Italy from Nazifascism in the later stage of WWII. 

The actual surrender of the Nazi-Fascist forces in Italy occurred only a few days later, on the 2nd of May 1945. However, we chose to celebrate the 25th of April because, on that day, the National Liberation Committee (CLNAI) that was leading the Italian resistance, proclaimed a general insurrection in all the territories still occupied by the Nazifascists and assumed power "in the name of the Italian people and as a delegate of the Italian Government".

So, because it's Liberation Day, I wanted to talk about freedom today. As I was checking some facts to be sure to get them right in giving a bit of context about such an important day in my country, I was reminded of this detail about the choice of the day for this celebration. I honestly never paid attention to it. But I find it fascinating that we are not celebrating the day when Italy became free but the day when Italians decided to be free. 

Reminding me that freedom is, first and foremost, a choice.

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." — Viktor E Frankl