I love the 4th of July. It's a great break in the middle of the summer, especially if it falls close to the weekend. There are loads of opportunities for cookouts, lake trips, fireworks, and time spent with friends.
As a kid, our neighborhood pool always hosted a 4th of July party with crazy relay races and eating contests. The highlight was tossing a huge, greased watermelon into the deep end. Whoever pulled it out won some kind of prize. Um, not a very safe game .. but it was a blast.
I've often heard about the textile mills closing for 4th of July week, which led many of the families to head straight for the beach. It was the highlight of the year, an annual excursion to Myrtle, Ocean Isle, or Carolina Beach. Kids met up with friends they'd only see that particular week of summer. Parents saved all year to cover necessary beach expenses like cotton candy, cheap T shirts, hermit crabs, bottle rockets, and rides at the Pavilion.
I'm a sucker for tradition -- annual events/traditions/rituals that draw us together year-after-year. Whatever your tradition is this 4th of July, may you be blessed by the warmth of community, the delicious smell of grilled burgers and baked beans, and the joy of celebrating our nation's freedom.
