When I was a child he Fourth of July was special in our home. It meant that not only did Daddy have a day off from work, everyone in the neighborhood was too. We usually had a cookout in the backyard and Daddy manned the grill. We usually had hot dogs, hamburgers, and sometimes fried fish. There was always potato salad and deviled eggs and usually a homemade pie or cake. Later we would play out front as our parents sat on the porch or hung over the fence chatting with the neighbors. And even though Daddy was a veteran of World War II, there were no American flags or talk about freedom. It was simply a day of freedom from work.
After I was married my husband and I hosted several 4th of July cookouts at home. After I divorced, I would sometimes do a small cookout or go to a cookout with friends. Some years my daughter and I would go to Dogwood dell or Colonial Downs or even a shopping center parking lot to see the fireworks. We have even taken trips, both in and out of state for the 4th of July. And as I grew older some friends would get together to share a meal and great conversation. And of course there were many years when I celebrated by watching the 4th of July programs and fireworks on TV.
This year my grandson and I celebrated the day with some errands and shopping. We got our hamburger fix at Red Robin and later I made some lamb sliders on my George Foreman grill. We did get to see some live fireworks that my neighbor set off in his driveway and finished the night watching Sing 2.
The 4th has always been the 4th; a day of relaxing and spending time with people that we love and that make us happy. I have celebrated the 4th in the presence of those who have shed a tear while watching the fireworks go off to the Star Spangled Banner and children running around laughing with sparklers. And maybe, just maybe, that's what freedom in the USA really means - the freedom to celebrate or not any way we choose. Happy 4th of July!