An American Birthday

Happy Birthday to our beloved nation.

People, really. A conglomerate of people. Joined together towards the end of creating a more perfect union of us all. While we also live our lives in parallel and in mostly harmonious blending with one another. We manage, on the whole to live free, unhindered from God's purpose for our souls on this earth. And to survive and prosper. As people of a purpose.

As for me, this years' American birthday celebration was a relaxed event. My annual 4th of July cake was not as memorable as last years', which tasted better but looked so bad it was lovingly dubbed it the 'ghetto cake' due to an unfortunate aerosol icing mishap. Although my poor cake looked lie it had been tagged (albeit patrioticly) by neighborhood miscreants, it was still truly delicious if you could manage to eat it with your eyes closed. Ah well - next year I am aiming for the wicked combination of looks AND personality. Sooner or later, I will come up with a spot-on fabulous cake that does this fabulous holiday justice. I am open to all suggestions which do NOT involve the use of any color decorating products that come from a can.

We sang Happy Birthday to America. We bar-be-que'd with friends and family. We swam. We enjoyed too much food and listened to the booming and screaming sounds of bold law-breakers, as their illegal fireworks were set off nearby in brazen displays of the American independent spirit (or the inherent sin nature of man, you choose). We laughed and took pictures and wrote notes about what freedom we are most personally thankful for, saved carefully for the scrapbook. We watched portions of movies. And we enjoyed one another, thankful for our nation and ample reason to celebrate it today.

Fireworks have been a much missed Independence Day phenomenon for me lately. The in-person experience of these defining celebratory displays have eluded me for two years because Joyboy is still too young and in bed far too early to be able to attend our sweetly small-town annual show yet. But next year will end this short dry spell as Joyboy is introduced to the magic of pyrotechnics and Mom rejoins the ranks of the exuberant neighbors in the high school stadium, joyfully reveling in loud explosions of colorful patriotism.

As I waitied for Copper and LaLa and most of the other the neighborhood families to return home from tonight's fireworks show, I found myself reflecting on today from a place of deep hope and resonant gratitude.

I am thankful for this nation. For us. For the people who comprise America ~ past and present. I am sad for our troubles and internal strife and division. But so glad for the freedom to voice those struggles and to seek together to find the best possible solution. I am grateful for my freedom to love and worship God with my family and my church, and to live my life largely unhindered from the agenda of unaccountable entities.

I am grateful for all those on the front lines, here and abroad, who know the truth of the sacrifices needed to protect our freedoms. And our lives. And our nation. God bless you all and may He see you home to us safely.

Above all, I am hopeful. I see in my children's lives, hearts, and minds the promise of tomorrow and I am inspired and grateful. I am hopeful that as we raise and love and cherish each new generation ~ as we train up our children in the way that they should go and equip them with the internal structure and moral compas to be a beacon for our nation in tough times ahead ~ we thus collectively propel ourselves forward with pure intentions toward the goal of becoming a more perfect nation. Under God, with liberty and justice for all.

May our future generations honor the past, learn from the mistakes of the present, and with abiding love and integrity carve out an ever-refined future of American freedom and liberty for many more birthdays to come.

My God continue to bless our nation and people. Happy Independence Day.