My wife loves Christmas. That’s her holiday. It’s her time of year, the season, the spirit of giving, the celebration of the birth of Christ our Lord. And really who doesn’t love a birthday celebration?
Me? Well, I guess it’s the same. I love the season, the spirit and the celebration of the birth of our country. My earliest memories of the 4th are going the the parade downtown, the family BBQ cookout’s, and of course the Fireworks when the daylight waned. Camp Walden used to light off the best Fireworks around. Why would someone go to town or Mackinaw to watch when this was right in our back (or front?) yards? Boats would line up out in front just to get a good view of them.
My niece Aurora asked me about the 4th a few days ago. When I asked my 8 year old nice if she knew why we celebrated the 4th of July she really didn’t know. I explained that it is our birthday as a country and we declared our Independence from Great Britain. This only kinda satisfied a 8 year old, so I continued. Back in 1776, we declared our independence from a King that was forcing his rules on us. Our founding fathers decided that war was worth the risk for freedom Many soldiers defended our country, much like her dad did in Afghanistan. While that did satisfy her, it sure got me to thinking too about how grateful I am for all of the soldiers that have defended us since then just for the simple thought: Freedom. So, a big thank you to all of the hero’s who have come before us and those who stand watch for us today. You are what makes America so great.