Saturday, June 30, 2007, 10:10 a.m, Nashville, Tennessee~

Dear Journal~

One of my very favorite holidays is quickly approaching. When it comes to the Fourth of July, I'm like a little child: I can't wait to see the parades, I look forward to all that good picnic food, I enjoy the rousing patriotic music, and my ears ring from all the booming fireworks that seem to rattle my chest as they explode in the night time sky.

I love the thought of celebrating our nation's birthday: no  matter if you are Latino, Caucasian, African-American, Oritental, or Native American Indian, you are free to celebrate American in any fashion. You are allowed to fly the American flag high, you are relagated to take part in the holiday, and you are allowed to proclaim your pride as an American, no matter if you came here as an immigrant or were born here.

I love the sounds of the sirens generated by our rescue vehicles, the colorful red, white, and blue buntings displayed on cleverly decorated floats, hearing the brassy sounds of the marching units, and see people of all ages lined up on the parade route, their tanned, sweaty, or sunburned faces all wreathed in smiles as the parade passes before their eyes.

I love seeing my children dancing with wild abandon during the musical entertainment--it doesn't bother them one bit if they can't walk, hear, see, or speak: nothing is going to stand in their way to having fun! :) They enjoy the holiday more so than the adults, particularly if they are armed with food, pinwheels, poppers, or even sparklers (under supervision, of course) when it gets dark. Then their holiday excitement reaches its zenith--and then I'm left with overstimulated, wired-up, excitable kids who don't settle down until we get home after the fireworks or they are put into their beds.

I love the thunder caused by a military fly-over: the sights of those powerful, sleek jets skimming overhead and feeling the ground shake mightily as they pass over stirs the soul; I'm then grateful to our brave men and women in the military who are fighting hard to defend all the freedoms that we hold dear.

This is when I'm at my proudest to be an American. If it were not for them, our nation would be much worse off; we'd be attacked again, and this is one thing we cannot afford to have happen again. One September 11, 2001 was more than enough; we don't need another one!! Nothing stirs up American pride faster than our military, that is for darn sure!

I love the smell of gunpowder and smoke as the fireworks explode noisily over head in brightly-colored bursts of light: green, amber, red, blue, white, yellow, even pink or purple. I love the sensatioin of the shifting ground as the fireworks go off. Of course, the kids love it, and my dear husband is right there with them, acting like an excited little boy. He points up at the sky, going, "Ooh, ooh, ooh!" and his face clearly shows the excitment of the moment. It's precious!

On that note, let me wish y'all a very happy July Fourth, and above all, please stay safe, have lots of fun, and thank God for our great nation, the United States of America! Remember why we celebrate Independence Day and be proud of who we are and where we come from!

~Love, your friend, Louisiana May. :D