We celebrated Independence Day today. Some of our adult kids in the area came by for our traditional BBQ and a long-time family friends’ daughter came by as well…she is an honorary “one of our kids”. It just happened that today was also the Saturday in which we normally have our 6-year-old granddaughter for the day so she helped us celebrate as well. She did so thoroughly and energetically.

Vegans we are not.  We had grilled ribs, brats, hamburgers and hotdogs.  I approach BBQs based on the philosophy that if I’m cooking some, I might as well cook a lot. There are always leftovers and there is also opportunity for our adult kids to take some home. Along with the grilled meat, we also had a massive amount of hot German potato salad (I’m thinking that a quadruple batch is maybe too much 😉), baked beans, corn on the cob, deviled eggs and watermelon slices for dessert. I seriously will not be hungry for the rest of the day.

For both our granddaughter’s sake and for the family friend’s sake we made sure water balloons were part of the day. Being a lightweight, I put out the “Don’t be hitting Nana with water balloons” directive but helped fill the water balloons and freely threw them at anyone who wanted to cool off a bit.

We also did sparklers and pop rocks…those are the things that one throws down on the ground and they really do make a pretty good sized “pop” sound.

All in all, we had a day filled with good family fun.  Sometimes it is nice to just be family and for a while, not think about COVID or what the case level is at. Hopefully, next year, the pandemic will be fading into the past around this time next year.

Before we wrap up this fourth of July, I do want to remember and honor veterans.  I especially want to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives so that we in America might have freedom.

We have had a number of family members who have served, and I will highlight the story of one of them. My father was just 21 years old when his Chicago Black Horse Troop was called up to active duty when the U.S. entered WWII. As the name implies, it was a horse mounted troop; his horse was actually black and my Dad remembered his horse fondly for the rest of his life. As the unit entered the war, the horses were replaced by jeeps…far less personality I am sure though more practical.

The unit saw combat in Germany, and I believe it had a significant casualty rate. As fate would have it though, my dad did not go over to Germany as he was gone from the unit by then. He had applied for and was sent to officer candidate school.  After he was commissioned as a young lieutenant, he was put into the signal corps and then ultimately sent over to Okinawa, waiting as part of the invasion force of Japan. Of course, when the war ended without an invasion, my Dad and his comrades went back home and picked up the thread of their lives again.

I have often thought about how some decisions affect the course of one’s life. Because my Dad was sent to another part of the war, he came through the war unscathed, married my mom and had four kids, including me.  Had he decided not to apply for officer candidate school when he did, he might not have come home and I would not be writing this blog.

Nonetheless, my Dad did what he could for his country, as have generations before him and generations after him.  Thus, behind the fourth of July BBQ and the water balloons and the sparklers, there is an underlying gratitude to those who have served.

A salute to the veterans, past and present, whose service has given us freedom.  A hug to my granddaughter as well, who reminds us all to have fun, play hard and not take life too seriously.