What’s not to love about the Fourth of July? It’s about parades and picnics. Beaches and bathing suits. Barbecues and baseball games. Fireworks and freedom. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Erma Bombeck once said:
“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
Indeed, there is something wonderful in knowing that the entire country is invited to a party to celebrate the birth of the the good ol’ U.S. of A. The other night, as I watched a fireworks display while holding one of my awestruck daughters in my arms, I could almost feel my heart beating red, white and blue. Whether you’re a fan of country music or not, I bet you know the chorus to the 1984 Lee Greenwood hit, God Bless the U.S.A:
And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.Hearing that song on July 4th, I couldn’t help but think of another patriotic quote: “If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace.” ~ Hamilton Fish
I think those men and women who died for our freedoms must be smiling down on us every July 4th holiday, delighted to see us running bases, grilling burgers, playing in the pool, mowing the grass, watching parades, eating apple pie, and enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice for freedom. If, like me, you’re one of the few Americans actually in the office today, please remember it is your patriotic duty to:
Live it up this weekend,
~Bob
