Celebrating Independence Day
Ask most kids to talk to you about Independence Day and you’re likely to get a discourse on the 1996 Will Smith movie regarding the earth battling invading space aliens. Or they may tell you it’s the day you get to watch the fireworks, catch a ballgame or eat hotdogs. I’m a firm believer that it is the role of parents and grandparents to ensure that our children/grandchildren are well aware of what this wonderful day means. With that in mind, let’s pause for a moment to consider the magnitude of America’s founding.
In the mid-1700s the sentiment among the Colonists was that they should not be paying taxes to England and King George III. It was the event now known as the Boston Tea Party (1773) that largely brought the 13 colonies together to oppose this taxation without representation. An English-owned tea company in India had been losing money, compelling England to levy a tax on tea sold in the colonies. One of the great heroes of the Revolution, Samuel Adams, along with several other Bostonians, dressed as Indians and hurled the India Company Tea cargo into the Massachusetts Bay. King George III was livid; but he was stubborn and refused to lift the tax. Later, in Boston Harbor, as the colonists threw stones and taunted British soldiers, the soldiers fired into the crowd, killing some of the people.
The theme of war was quickly in the air. My beloved Virginia was the first colony to call for independence, voting to establish a committee to speak for the colonies. They called it the First Continental Congress and they met in September 1774, where members sketched out a record of grievances against England. The great George Washington, later to become our first president, was given command of the Continental Army and combat soon broke out in Massachusetts. It was the onset of an eight-year Revolutionary War.
As the war raged on, the men who would come to be known as our Founders gathered in
Philadelphia. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress penned a second draft of the grievances against England. John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign this document – the Declaration of Independence – his signature outsized and flamboyant so King George would quickly recognize it. In total, 56 courageous men placed their signatures on the document. England saw this declaration as an act of treason, and the 56 men who called for independence from the Crown expected that their very lives were now in harm’s way. And they were right. Five of them were later captured by the British, tortured and killed. Nine died in the war. Twelve lost their homes. Two lost their sons in war. All of them paid a heavy toll for their action. But these men embodied the heartfelt words of Patrick Henry who said on March 23, 1775, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” We can never imagine the pain and suffering that came to these men and their families. But they invested in the future of an adored nation and in the future of freedom that we embrace today.
After the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, it was read aloud in the public squares, stirring the Colonists to celebration and a determined commitment to independence. One year later, in Philadelphia, our nation celebrated what would become an ongoing tradition, a pre-Independence Day we might call it since independence was far from secure. The Colonists rang out the bells of the city, and ships in the harbor fired off their great guns. Firecrackers and candles were lighted in the streets. And the people joined together in hope and prayer for a swift end to the war and a foundation for their freedom.
But the wearisome war would carry on until 1783. When independence had finally been secured, many lives had been given for the cause. Those brave Colonists had made the ultimate sacrifice that we remember even today. In the year 1783, the Colonists celebrated their first official Independence Day. John Adams, our second U.S. president and one of signers of the Declaration of Independence, in a letter to his wife, wrote: “I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival ... it ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. ...”
And so today we do celebrate the courage and valor of the men who secured our freedoms. In this age of rewriting history and ignoring the Judeo-Christian underpinning of our nation, I pray that those who love this nation will never let the truth of our founding die. This Independence Day, spend a little time with the young people and ensure that they understand what this wonderful day is really all about.
The Wise Woman
by Author Unknown
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a
precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him.
She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.
But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. “I’ve been
thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone.”
July:
Independence Month
In the old Roman calendar,
July was the fifth month. The Roman senate named it for Julius Caesar, who reorganized the calendar in 46 B.C. and was born this month.
One of the big dates this month is July 4 when the US celebrates Independence Day. This recognizes the day the wording of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was approved by Congress.
The declaration was actually approved on July 2 and signed on August 2 but celebrations have been on July 4
since the outset.
July is a popular month for independence day or similar celebrations in other countries – including Canada (Canada Day, July 1), France (Bastille Day, July 14)
Packing for Vacation: A Guide
Packing for a vacation is every-one's nightmare, although many of us love to travel, very few of us love to pack! Packing usually comes at a bad day too - people often finish work one day and travel the next or even later that night!
Packing is squeezed into the time when you tend to be at your most stressed. As with most things - if you have a plan, things will be easier and less-stressed -- I'm sorry I can't promise stress free!
Efficient packing should ideally mean that you return from holiday having used everything you took more than once!
So let’s start with what to take:
1) Choose clothes appropriate for the climate. If you are going somewhere warm and leaving a cold climate consider leaving a set of warm clothes in the car if you are leaving it at the airport or with friends if you are being collected.
2) Make clothing items do double duty, men's shorts can be double as swimming trunks, a woman's tankini top can be an evening top. A shirt can layer over a dress in place of a jacket.
3) Prescription medicines and a copy of the prescription in case you loose your bags. If you need glasses to see make sure you have a back up: an old pair, contacts or prescription sunglasses.
4) If flying, don't take large bottles of liquid – you can not carry-on more than 3 oz. per container and the liquid will expand slightly as the lower pressures on the plane and leak.
5) Make sure your toiletries bag is actually waterproof - a surprising number aren't and bottles do break.
6) Credit cards -preferably two in case one is lost or broken or eaten by the ATM.
7) Details of your insurance policy. Important phone numbers or email addresses of medical specialists, family, work, anyone you may need to contact if something occurs to delay your return.
8) If driving, pack a spare set of keys just in case you lock your original set in car – avoid locksmith costs.
Did we leave out any vacation must-haves? Post a comment below to share your vacation necessities with us!
BEFORE...
AFTER!
Ask most kids to talk to you about Independence Day and you’re likely to get a discourse on the 1996 Will Smith movie regarding the earth battling invading space aliens. Or they may tell you it’s the day you get to watch the fireworks, catch a ballgame or eat hotdogs. I’m a firm believer that it is the role of parents and grandparents to ensure that our children/grandchildren are well aware of what this wonderful day means. With that in mind, let’s pause for a moment to consider the magnitude of America’s founding.
