It isn’t hard to find reasons to love a summer holiday, but even so, the Fourth of July often gets overlooked in the “What’s your favorite holiday?” department. Even with all that I love about it, which you’re going to find out in about 2.937980 seconds, Thanksgiving always nudges its way to the top of the list, with Christmas following close behind.*
*Like it does on the calendar.
But the Fourth of July really deserves a lot of attention. And here are few personal reasons why I love it…
1. When I was little, my family often spent the Fourth of July at my grandparents’ house, swimming in their pool.* Many times we would drive home as the local fireworks displays were going off and my dad would pull over to the side of the road so we could watch. One year, on our way out the door, Pop gave my brothers and me Fourth of July goody bags of which a box of crackerjacks was included. Ever since that day, whenever the Fourth comes around, I’m given a nostalgic warmth from the remembrance of my Pop and his gift of crackerjacks.
*RIP, as of this year.**
**I’m still not ready to talk about it.
2. I had my first kiss on the Fourth of July.* I’m sure all the romantics in the room will agree, no other kiss can live up to that of your very first. Especially if it was with your first, your last, your everything.
*Boy, does this sound like the start of a country song, or what? At the very least, a Taylor Swift song. Am I right??
3. I became a fiance on Fourth of July weekend. Quite sentimentally, Hubby chose this weekend as the time to pop the question. Thinking he was clever, he purposefully asked a few days before the Fourth, hoping to catch me off guard.*
*I knew it was coming, of course.
4. This day, and the document that was approved on this day, are what established the American dream. How often do I take for granted that I can choose what to do, where to live, who to be? Without this day, I may never have known the freedoms of which so many take advantage of without realizing, yes, the sacrifices, but also, the wisdom that went into establishing a nation such as ours.
“May it be to the world, what I believe it will be … the signal of arousing men to burst the chains … and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. …For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”
– Thomas Jefferson June 24, 1826 Monticello
Found in “July 4th History” part of “A Capitol Fourth” on PBS.org
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