Finish the Sentence Friday: The best 4th of July I ever had was…
I have wonderful memories of celebrating the 4th of July with my family as a child. When I was in elementary school, the moms in the neighborhood would organize a parade ~ we’d decorate our bikes and trikes with red, white, and blue streamers and ride up and down the street.
Me, circa 1984 ~ seriously, what’s with those tube socks??
Apparently the blue-and-white socks qualified me to lead the parade!
The evenings we often spent with other families ~ the adults who had been friends with my parents since college, and their children. We’d have dinner together. We’d go watch fireworks. My sister and I played with other kids, and shared the evening with the many amazing adults in our lives.
But I hope that the best 4th of July I’ve ever had…. hasn’t happened yet. I’ve reached … wait for it … my moment of independence. Now that my children are old enough, I am creating family traditions for the 4th with my family.
I know we say that what our children will truly remember are the little things ~ the bedtime stories, the days at the park, the nightly family dinners. But I also think creating celebrations around the big things ~ holidays, birthdays ~ are important for our children. Family traditions, family rituals, are important.
We often misuse the word ritual. I hear people say, “My morning ritual is to have coffee and read the paper.” That might be a routine, but it’s probably not ritual. By definition, a ritual is something that is set apart from every day life, whether through special behavior, or music, or words, or a particular mindset. That’s why we often associate ritual with the sacred. And the sacred is the opposite of the mundane, the every-day. If your morning coffee involves time for quiet reflection, or you sip your coffee while watching the sunrise or taking some renewal time for yourself, that’s ritual. Drinking your coffee while scanning the news is a routine.
I want to create rituals with my children. Family traditions that say, “This day is special. Our family is special.” For our 4th of July traditions, I want my children to know the history and the beauty of our country. I want them to understand the importance of freedom, of toleration, and of equality. I want my daughter, in particular, to know how lucky she is to be born here. Our nation is not perfect, but we can teach our children to love their country and to want to make it better.
Last year we began creating family traditions for the 4th. A local Children of the American Revolution chapter hosts a Revolutionary Breakfast each 4th of July at the historical society. They make “flying pancakes” that the kids get to catch on their plates. Volunteers dress up in costume to teach children about the Revolutionary War, and there are camp exhibits to view. We even got to tour the old train depot and learn about the history of our city. {Yes, this is what happens to kids when they have not one, but TWO parents who are history teachers!}.
My daughter trying to catch pancakes
Gotta love these volunteers in the July heat!
Learning about what coins looked like in the 18th century
Nothing cooler than a model train!
Touring the historical society/old train depot
A new family tradition
I am excited to continue this tradition ~ this connection to history ~ with my children again this year.
We will also continue a family event from previous years ~ for the past few years, we have taken our children to a local city festival, which includes carnival rides. Last year, we moved away from that neighborhood, but we continue to visit the festival. My kids love seeing their old park, going out to dinner at a restaurant from the old neighborhood, and driving past our old house. It’s an important connection to our family’s history.
One of my favorite pics of me with my kids…. at our old carnival.
They love riding the cars together!
Sharing brother-sister secrets while mom looks on?
This year we will add a new ritual ~ it will be the first year we take the kids to fireworks! My daughter is very apprehensive about how loud the fireworks will be, but she is excited to experience this part of Independence Day. I have not seen fireworks in 7 years {since I was pregnant with her!} and am eager to start this new tradition with my children. We will watch fireworks with my parents, and my sister and her family. The important people and adults in my children’s life.
So while I have many great memories of the 4th of July, I truly hope the best ones ~ the new traditions we will create together ~ are yet to come.
What are YOUR family’s special 4th of July traditions?
This post is part of the Finish the Sentence Friday linkup. Click here to see more posts finishing the sentence, “The best 4th of July I ever had was…”
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
