Independence Day

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love going to Yankee Doodle Pops and watching the fireworks afterward (not to mention all the people watching!). It’s free, it’s fabulous, and I always get choked up singing the Star Spangled Banner. Every time. I love cheering for the veterans that attend – and those who never returned.


The Independence Day parade is also something I try very hard not to miss. My daughter was born on July 2, and we took her to the 4th of July parade in tiny Hills, Iowa two days later. Jaws were dropping to see such a tiny child exhibiting her patriotism (ok, she actually slept through the whole thing – even the fire engines!).


Picnics are a staple for the 4th of July, and the fireworks always amaze me. I feel just like a little kid in one sense; struck by the awe of something that always seems so uniquely American. I delight in watching little kids dancing with their sparklers (even the ones who shriek in terror at the sparks), but also appreciate that I can watch all this from my driveway!


Ultimately, though, the 4th of July reminds me of how blessed I am to have been born and raised in the United States of America, where freedom is cherished and fought for. As Americans, we have a duty to those who gave up their lives for our freedom, as well as a duty to ourselves and our children, to never take those freedoms for granted, and to fight valiantly, whether with pen, voice or body to preserve those freedoms. We have a duty to not willingly give up those freedoms just because we don’t think it will affect us. We have a duty to pay attention, and to object when someone tries to take our freedom away, and we need to be especially careful when a freedom is stolen under the guise of being “for our own good.”


Be vigilant. Be proud of our country. Be free.