Today, we celebrated the holiday quickly, for Daddy had to go into work for the evening. We fired up the grill, made some garlic burgers with all the trimmings, ate some decadent dessert, played in the baby pool, and in the late afternoon as the temperature cooled, Caleb and I took a walk around our neighborhood.
I’m so glad for my decision to walk today, for this is what we saw:
A backyard party with dozens of people under a tent set up on a lush green lawn. Smoke snaking up into the sky from the barbecue grill, a line of parked cars snaking down the cul-de-sac. People talking, children laughing, chasing each other, running out into the street. An old couple, sitting quietly on their front porch together. A family with two dogs eating dinner, amidst lively conversation. Male members of families messing with grills on decks. Festive-looking neighbors leaving the house. A cheerful young boy tossing water balloons, careful not to hit us. A toddler wandering out into a driveway, his mother following close behind. People in good spirits, smiling, nodding, waving to us everywhere. This is America. White people, black people, Asians, Latinos, ...Hungarians – they are all represented here in my neighborhood. We all mingle here, and today we’re outdoors celebrating our freedoms and 232 years of independence, over hot barbecue grills. Only in America.
As night fell, the sound of fireworks forced me to the window. Our backyard partying neighbors had a fireworks show and so did our City Stadium. I could see them both from my front window.
It was good to be an American today. (Even though I am, technically, not quite there yet.)
By Irving Berlin
God Bless America
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
To the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam.
God Bless America,
My home, sweet home.
My home, sweet home.
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