The 4th of July has always been a special holiday for my family, celebrating not just a national holiday, but economic, political, and social independence at a personal level.
Each year we host a gathering of family and friends. We have a big lunch, our family has been fond of a shrimp boil, and plenty of fruits, treats, and desserts decorated with an Independence Day theme. We swim in the pool, have “chicken fights” with the children on the shoulders of parents, and catch up on family news, careers, etc.
But at some point in the day, we always — literally, every year — put the DVD of Avalon on our big screen for any or all of the family to watch again. It was no blockbuster, but the 1990 film spans 40 years of an immigrant, entrepreneurial family coming to America, beginning on a July 4th celebration and revisiting the holiday throughout. The film carries themes of family traditions, work ethic, business ownership and risk, and explores the challenges to old-world family relationships and traditions in a new land of many options. My own family immigrated from Spain to Cuba, then Cuba to Florida just a couple generations ago, so we appreciate the sacrifices our great grandparents made building a new life in America.
The film serves as an annual reminder, for me, to be grateful for family, simple traditions and the importance of relationships, at the same time that we embrace new challenges and opportunities in life. As the Admiral family grows, bringing new solutions to growing challenges for digital publishers, we hope to build on what is permanent and valuable in the publisher-visitor relationship.
Thank you to all the publishers that have trusted us and are now part of our extended Admiral family. This holiday, enjoy some time to reflect on what family and relationships mean to you...and if you haven’t watched it lately, checkout one family’s journey through the highs and lows of a changing America in Avalon.
Dan Rua
CEO Admiral: The Visitor Relationship Company
