Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇲

America the Beautiful

America the Beautiful

It’s time to bring back singing Yankee Doodle and It’s a Grand Old Flag in the car with your kids. “Littles” love singing the word macaroni, and the teenagers' faces match the color theme of the holiday, RED, with embarrassment.  As I’m typing, I have Mr. Ray Charles(may he rest in peace) arrangement of America the Beautiful blasting in the background.  I love the song's unabashed patriotic rendition that causes the little goose bumps on my arms to stand at attention.  The 4th of July has always been a special time for our families.  Growing up as military brats overseas, the 4th of July was filled with on-base parades, copious amounts of barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers, and the most majestic base firework shows you can imagine. Your tax dollars at work- thank you:). Our eyes reflected the glare of the fireworks as we watched in awe…an ocean away from the States, but united by the celebration of the 4th of July. And yes, we would bring our letter jackets to wear when the sun went down!!!

Fast forward to 2025 …we’ve attended community 4th of July parades in the states with marching bands, grand marshals, and honor guards.  We’ve both had the opportunity to experience the 4th of July in Washington, DC, enjoy family tailgates at Qualcomm stadium before Padres games …we’re going back a couple of years, what makes the day so special is celebrating America with family and friends. Another 4th of July week celebration I look forward to is singing God Bless America or America the Beautiful at the end of Mass. After all, singing is another form of prayer.  We’re blessed to live in a land of opportunity(it would be better sans regulations), where hard work can turn a dream into reality, where we can practice the faith of our choosing, and have the freedom to follow our dreams.  Please join us in thanking God for the United States of America. 🇺🇲