Fourth of July

 

 

 

       Fun on the Fourth

 I do not enjoy all of the 4^th of July activities. When my children were young, it was the same battle every year. My sons started their lobbying efforts the minute the first fireworks stand appeared in town, never mind that it wouldn’t open for a week or two.

“Please Mom, everybody else’s mom lets them have Black Cats and Roman Candles and those ones that shoot really, really high in the sky. How come all I get are snakes and sparklers?” my younger son whined as he followed me around in the grocery store. “I saw the sign on the fireworks stand in the parking lot says they are opening tomorrow. I’ll even use my own money.”

“Your grocery total comes to $105.43. Would you like help out with those?” the check-out clerk said and handed me the two-foot long cash register slip.

“Please Mom, can I have $20.00 for fireworks. I’ll pay you back when I get a job. I promise, and you won’t have to pay me to mow the yard,” my older son said. I wondered when we had started paying him to mow the yard. I wondered why he would ask me to spend money on something to literally set on fire and possibly harm himself with while I was spending big dollars at the grocery store.

I have pleasant memories of sitting on the back porch steps, hands over my ears while my father lighted one small package of firecrackers and tossed them in the air one by one, away from the house. When I grew older I enjoyed writing my name in the air and making stars with my allotted two sparklers. The evenings were topped off with homemade ice cream. Oh yes, I enjoyed celebrating our nation’s freedom. Motherhood, though, woke me up to the more dangerous things in life and shooting fireworks was certainly one of them.

It took several years before I finally discovered the perfect way to celebrate July 4^th. A fine meal of hamburgers from the grill, roasted ears of corn, Grandma’s potato salad and fresh tomatoes started the evening.  The meal was topped off with homemade ice cream. Sometimes there was an apple pie or chocolate cake, all shared with good friends. After the meal our families watched the community display of fireworks at the local park. Each year we declared the finale the best one ever. The holiday ended with the children’s dads helping the kids set off a modest amount of fireworks in the street. Even that plan “backfired” one year when one of my son’s firecrackers burned too closely to his finger, and in his eagerness to not burn his finger, he blindly tossed the firecracker. It landed on another boy’s back. Fortunately, neither boy was harmed.

However you celebrate July 4^th, I hope you have a safe and happy one and fully appreciate the freedoms we have in this great country of ours.