Happy Birthday America!
There's something about the 4th of July that makes it one of my favorite holidays. The first thing my dad did every year was proudly hang the flag from the front porch, as did almost everyone in our town. I can still remember looking down the street and seeing an ocean of stars and stripes.
Our neighborhood would throw a block party every year and us kids would go from backyard to backyard eating and having a blast. The women spent all day getting all the food and the red, white and blue desserts ready, while the men took care of the grilling and sneaked lighters to us "older" kids. We'd light hundreds of bottle rockets, tanks, snakes, roman candles and other fireworks. I'll never forget the year one of the neighborhood kids set their parents car keys into orbit. :) Those were good times.
Somehow, on that day I always felt a little more free. My parents would sit down with us and ask if we knew what we celebrated on this day. Their eyes would glisten and their hearts beamed with pride as they told of our family members who served in the military. I never quite got it, until I got older. Now my eyes glisten and my heart beams with pride as I re-tell those stories to my children.
As an adult, it's the one day I wish everyone could put aside their political opinions and just be thankful for all the blessings we have in this country. Whether you love the current president and hate the former, vice versa or you don't like either of them, that should all be put aside, if only for today. You may think our country is far from perfect, but it is still our country. Does perfection exist anywhere? I don't think it does.
Focus instead on our founding fathers and all the people who gave up everything in the name of freedom. Do we really understand what they did? The committed treason and went up against all odds to become an independent nation!
It sure was worth it, wasn't it?
Don't forget to whisper a prayer for those who continue to protect our freedom today. Thank a soldier. I love that my boys salute anyone they see in uniform. It brings tears to my eyes every time.