Happy Independence Day!
May you have a blessed day with family and friends.
When I was growing up, Independence Day or the Fourth of July meant a family reunion with my mother’s side of the family. We would pack up the car and head from Grandma’s house over the river and through the woods to Aunt’s house we went. You can add, around a few curves too, as it was in West Virginia.
As I grew up, those days went away as family members passed away or were not to get away for the day, or were no longer interested in the hoopla of catching up with family. I wasn’t a big fan of reunions because I was an introverted nerd who preferred to spend time watching trains or reading a book.
I always felt a bit awkward at the family reunions since Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) makes me feel uncoordinated, nervous, and challenged in anything I do. What I didn’t realize is that many of the family members had it too. I may could have learned a lot from them.
When I got married, the first family reunion that came along, I took my wife to meet the family. It was fun! She is the extroverted one in our family, so she makes most everything in life more fun.
At the picnics, we had all kinds of food and desserts a West Virginian could think of to prepare for the celebration. It was always a tasty and “filling” time. Of course, there were always leftovers for the next few days.
Another Independence Day celebration I remember happened after I got married. My wife worked in Washington, D.C., for several years. One Fourth of July, we were invited by her office to sit on the rooftop to watch fireworks. Though I’d lived in the area for fifty-plus years, I’d never been to the National Fireworks. Of course, we had to go, so we did. It was an excellent time.
However, you celebrate the Fourth, Independence Day, I hope it is a fun and safe holiday weekend for you and your family.
