Fantastic 4th

As a kid Christmas used to be my favorite holiday. Christmas is a great holiday. However, the 4th of July has gone up in stock for me as I have gotten older. Being surrounded by friends and family, being outside and enjoying the weather. What more could you ask for? As a bonus you get the fireworks, folks decked out in red, white and blue, and maybe a parade as well. Don't forget the flag cakes with the fresh summer berries on top.
The 4th is time marked not by what you want but what you have. Freedom. The pursuit of happiness. Unbelievable opportunity. Fantastic diversity. People dream of coming to America. People die trying to get to America. Others die guaranteeing what America is. Read some stories about people who immigrated to the States. It is pretty amazing what people are willing to give up and endure to get to the US. We had two Independence Day celebrations this year. Neither had fireworks or flag cakes. But that didn't matter. We still had a lot of the things that make a 4th fun. Friends, food, laughter, even sunshine. We spent the first on a large property north of here at a large party of ex-patriots. Yesterday we spent the evening grilling on a gorgeous lake very close to here with an ex-pat mom and her kids. They all brought what was most important for the 4th. Great heart and an appreciation for everything good the U.S. stands for.