Editor’s Note:  The following was originally posted on July 4, 2016. 

I hope you are all getting to spend some time with your family and friends on this long holiday weekend.  Maybe grilling some burgers, resting beside a peaceful lake, and/or having a block party are in your plans for holiday.  However you choose to spend your time, please enjoy!

As we all know, celebrating July 4, is more than just a day off from work or fun with family and friends.  Of course, the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 was the birth of a free and independent United States of American.  No longer under British rule, the thirteen colonies didn’t just fight to survive, they thrived.

There are so many sad and crazy things going on in our world, that we may lose sight of the many blessings we have as American citizens.  With growing divide on the US political scene, global unrest due to terrorism, and many challenges facing us as a country, I am still willing to stand with my fellow countryman to protect our way of life.

Thank you to the men and women who have served and are serving our country, and thank you to their families.  I am so proud of my grandfather, Frank, who served in World War I, later receiving a Silver Star.  My father, Frankie, served twice, once in the Air Force and once in the Army.  And, of course, my husband, Mike who served in Desert Storm and was stationed in Germany.

I know my family is not alone.  I have friends who lost their fathers during military service, and friends and relatives currently serving.  Like everything in life, if we all do our part, we can make things happen.

So, Happy Birthday America!  May God continue to bless her!

Bonus Information:  One of our neighbors reads the Declaration of Independence to his family, which now includes grandchildren, on July 4 each year.  What a great family tradition and learning tool. You know those children do well in history and really understand the meaning of the holiday.