Happy Independence Day

Besides my birthday (which I think should be declared a national holiday), the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday of the year. Growing up, my love for the Fourth stemmed from the amazing Technicolor display the families on my street in Oklahoma would put on.

As I grew up, I realized that while running around like a maniac with sparklers was a lot of fun, the best aspect of the holiday was the sense of togetherness.

Erma Bombeck summed it up best with the following quote:

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”

And it is patriotism. Yes, it’s true that we need to pay honor and respect to the men and women in our Armed Forces, but the real meaning is that the Fourth of July brings us, as a nation, closer together. Complete strangers will place their blankets next to each other at the park to watch fireworks, and by the end of the night, have made a new friend or two.

So this Independence Day, slow down and take some time to remember not only those who helped ensure we have an Independence Day, but also those close to us.