Two Birthdays--Twice the Fun

Whenever the Fourth of July rolls around, I always get a little nostalgic. Growing up, my family lived a short distance from the high school football stadium where the fireworks display was held. On the evening of the Fourth of July, my parents would round up all five kids and gather blankets, a cooler with chilled sodas, a few gooey peanut butter sandwiches, and we would all walk, albeit slowly, to the stadium. We would lay on our little backs on that warm summer night and watch the fireworks with lots of ooohs and aaahs. And they seemed to last forever. It was wonderful.

Since those childhood days and through the years, Mike and I haven’t done much on this holiday. Occasionally, there was a short vacation including the Fourth of July; but more often than not, it was a work day following the celebration and that meant getting up early the next day. Rarely, did we drive to the firework location and stay up late to watch.

Our retirement and new lifestyle have given us the time to again enjoy this holiday. This year we’re on the Oregon Coast and fireworks light up the night sky on the beaches. Without the stress and hurry-up that goes along with a career and work-life, suddenly, I’m a kid again--enjoying the fireworks with lots of ooohs and aaahs. And it’s wonderful.

Plus, it’s my mother’s birthday (pictures of my family/mom on the right; picture of mom below--she's 77 today--doesn't she look great?). I mean, really, can you have a better day for your birthday? When she was a kid, she must have thought the fireworks were all about her. How great is that?

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Happy Birthday, America.

I love you, both.