On The Fourth of July

I know, I know, it’s a bit late. But I really felt the need to write about this holiday because honestly, it’s that special to me. There’s just something about a nation in celebration that just makes me smile! My mind and my senses love it so.

I see fireworks lighting up the sky. Flashes of color flicker across the night; reds and blues and whites illuminating the snaky streams of smoke that cover the inky blackness above.

I hear happy squeals and playful giggles as children dart across the open lawn. I hear the booms of the fireworks, right after they burst, and then the earsplitting echo against the buildings around me. 

I feel everything beneath my bare feet. Whether it’s cool, lush grass on the golf course, soaking wet wood on a lakeside dock, or sun warmed sand between my toes at the beach,

I taste the spread of a summer BBQ.. Juicy cheeseburgers fresh off the grill with lettuce and ketchup, sweet corn spread with butter and dusted with salt, baked beans from an open pot on the stove, and potato salad from a little plastic Publix container that was transferred to a serving dish and past off as homemade. Don’t forget the melty ice cream and icy popsicles for dessert!

I smell the cool, clear air of a summer night mixed with the smoke from the fireworks and the aroma of the still-warm grill. I smell salt and sand, or fresh, green lake water, or earthy grass.

My senses are tingling with the wonderful overload the Fourth has to offer. With all of the great memories I have of it, it’s my favorite “non-gift-giving” holiday. When I was little, my Fourths were always spent at our neighborhood pool party and the nearby country club. Our neighborhood always had a parade, in which we happily decorated our bikes and bodies in patriotic hues and then marched down the street and back, but little else. After that we would head to the country club, and their party was like a wonderland. Fluffy cotton candy, drippy sno-cones, an inflatable bouncy house, temporary tattoos, jewelry making, lawn races, and of course, plenty of swimming. After wearing ourselves (and our parents!) out, we would tote our sunburned faces and bursting pool bags over to my Grandma and Pepe’s for a classic Independence Day cookout. After polishing off the last morsel, we would pile into cars and go and watch the fireworks on the golf course. My grandma would put her hands over my ears to block the noise and I would fall asleep in her arms. A lovely ending to a lovely day. 

My past two years have been a bit unconventional, but a blast! Last year I was at the lake with all of my cousins. We painted our nails red, white, and blue, decorated for a boat parade, swung on a rope swing, went tubing, and watched the fireworks from the middle of the lake. 

This year, my Fourth of July was spent in Panama City for a baseball tournament. Our meal may have been sub par, (burgers…baked in the oven…with green beans.) but the ambiance was great. We watched the first fireworks from the pool, and when they kicked us out, we moved the party to the beach where we just sat in awe at the beautiful view.

What’s your take on the Fourth? Do you love it as much as I do? Comment and let me know about YOUR best Fourth of July!