...and next Wednesday is the Fourth of July

When I was a little kid, my Grandpa Nelson (my mother’s dad) would get up early every 4th (he’d get up early everyday) and go outside of his eastern North Dakota Red River farmhouse to set off one firecracker. After it exploded, he would scream in his thick Swedish accent…“hurrah for the Fourth of July!” That simple celebration was pretty much it for the holiday fireworks on the old Arthur T. Nelson farm…mostly because that’s all the struggling family could afford.

 For some odd reason, that ritual was one my own father copied in my boyhood home in Los Angeles. It was simple, perhaps even a little corny, but for some reason my dad, the son of German and Russian immigrants, just felt compelled to make note of this special American holiday. Just like my Grandfather had done, I remember my dad going out on the morning of the 4^th, lighting one firecracker and shouting “hurrah for the Fourth of July!” Later in the evening we would have more elaborate home firework shows, but that is usually how the holiday started.

 Not sure how you’re spending your July 4th, but in the hustle-and-bustle of today’s crazy world, there are probably more than a few of us that will barely slow down long enough this weekend to really think about the fact that we are celebrating our independence. Some of us will attend BBQs, go for boat rides, go on hikes, head to the lakes, watch baseball, go camping, go to the mountains or take in elaborate pyrotechnic shows with so much on our minds that we’ll give little or no thought to the real significance of the holiday. Even today, on the threshold of this festive weekend, many of us will be so busy doing such important work that we won’t take any time to smell the roses…let alone take 3 minutes and 9 seconds to listen to the Friday song.

 This is odd (at least it is to me), because so many of us have had a cavalcade of almost spiritually inspired signs lately literally screaming that life is way too short. For some, it’s come in the way of a challenging diagnosis, the illness of a friend or loved one, or the loss of a life that we know ended way, way too soon. For me, it is almost like some supernatural force is shaking a neon sign directly in front of my face that is literally pleading for me to slow down. For some set of reasons (none of which are flattering), I soon forget the messages…and almost within days…I allow the insanity of work and everyday life to erase any lesson offered by the otherwise crystal-clear warnings.

My Grandpa and Dad struggled in ways that I cannot even fathom, however despite their respective hardships, they genuinely loved this country at levels I don’t have the writing talent to covey. There is no doubt about the fact that we’ve got some work to do, but despite our nation’s relative young age and looming challenges…it's still a great place to call home. Let’s honor that fact by taking some time to appreciate all we have. At the very least, I’m going to try to think about that as I’m watching the fireworks show above the mall in our nation’s capital.

 Whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope you put down the Blackberry or shut off the laptop long enough to think about the 4th and the true significance of our young nation’s birthday. Above all else, I hope you’re able to do it with the people you truly love.

 Few people probably actually do this, but if you start the day by closing your eyes and taking several minutes to listen to a song…you might just start the weekend with a smile.

BTW…in the unlikely event you’re one of the four people that regularly read these posts, this probably sounds somewhat familiar. It was posted at this time about 365 days ago…and despite a continued parade of signposts regarding the fragility of life…I’ve neither slowed down, turned off the laptop or put down the Blackberry. Actually…in fairness…that’s not true. Now I have an iPhone 4 that I never put down. I've ignored the sighposts. Have you?  

 Hurrah for the Fourth...