It's not just the historical events in our nation's founding that stir the induglent satisfaction associated with this day; the time of year, the getting-together with family and the inevitable preparations to pull it all off are equally as honored as welcomed traditions.
In late June in Southern California, the sun was hot and the sidewalks burned like embers that initiated bare feet in a right of passage as my brothers and I walked to the newly constructed fireworks stands that rose like a phoenix from the year before. Due to fire restrictions, we were not given access to the firecrackers and pyrotechnics that are readily available here in Alabama, but never mind! The rows of smoke pots, roman candles, sparklers and the like inside that Freedom or Black Cat stand were enough to spark a young boy's imagination that his big event would rival neighboring Disneyland!
Whether we stayed at home or met with friends and family, this was a big day. Like waiting for Halloween, the inevitable approach of dusk created anxiety that never hastened night's sooner arrival. Yet night always came. The traditional meal of ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob and homemade ice cream (hand cranked, thank you) had been eaten and everyone gathered outside for "The Big Show". A leader always seemed to emerge from the group who manned the torch and dictated the protocol for lighting each piece. Of course, we all kept "punks" and ignited the sparklers at will.
But this was more than just watching the bombs "bursting in air". It was a celebration of who we were. In this setting, whether we were cousins, brothers, sons or nephews twice removed, we were all Americans tonight and we carried within us the deep satisfaction of knowing we were collectively a part of something bigger than all of us as individuals.
And that feeling carries over to today. As I sit on my back porch in the quietness of the morning I know that today will quickly get busy as Beth, Tessa and Jonathan and I run about putting the final preparations on a few days with family. There will be movies, music, laughter, reminiscing and plenty of good food. We will pray and thank God for his blessings to us and to our nation. We will also pray that, in this crucial time in our history, we will remain One Nation Under God. We will wait for sunset on Monday and watch the fireworks illuminate the sky. And we will revel as we revere our Independence Day!
