Celebrating the 4th of July

Tomorrow I will go with my family to the lake to celebrate the 4th of July. It is probably one of my most memorable holidays. From the time I was very young, I remember celebrating the 4th with family. When I was 6 years old we celebrated by building a new swing in the back yard, cutting watermelon with my grandparents and saying the Pledge of Allegiance (and yes, I still remember that day as if it were yesterday.) Watching the fireworks display at the Hamilton Drive-In was another childhood favorite way to celebrate the 4th.

For many years, we celebrated the 4th at my brother's house where we cooked out, sang songs, wore red, white and blue and saluted the flag. The most memorable of those occasions was July 4th, 1990. Our beloved dad passed away on July 1st and was buried on July 3rd. There was some concern that it would not be appropriate to celebrate so soon after his funeral but as we discussed our options, we decided that was exactly what he would want us to do. He was a true patriot and would have wanted us to continue to remember our country's heritage and the freedoms we enjoy. So we proudly sang the National Anthem with tears streaming down our faces.

Tomorrow, I will proudly celebrate with my wonderful family. We have been blessed in a thousand ways and we are fortunate to live in a country where we can pause for a day and thank God for the opportunity to live in America!

Happy 4th of July!