Celebrating Freedom

Yesterday was the first Fourth of July I have spent in the United States in twenty years. As for Rachel, this was her first one ever. She was so excited about the celebration.


Thursday night, I had gone shopping for food we needed for the picnic on Friday. As I headed to the store, I saw that cars were lining up and people were camping out at the edge of cornfields facing the fairgrounds. They were staking out places to see the fireworks.

After I was done shopping, I hurried back to my parents' house where Rachel was spending the day with her Grandma. I took her out to see the fireworks. We drove around looking for a good place to watch. I wasn't sure where, exactly, would be the best place. I turned down an alley beside a local school to cut over to the next street. As it turns out,the perfect parking place was right down that alley. The fairgrounds was perhaps two streets away. No trees blocked the view. I must say, we got the best view of fireworks that I have ever had in my life.

Mom was in on much of this excitement. She and wrote this and posted this photo on her Facebook page. I'll let her words speak for themselves.

Yesterday was the first 4th of July Rachel celebrated in the US. She was so excited. She knew where she wanted the games set out in the yard. She looked at the video I took last year and told me what food she wanted me to serve. The entire day was what she wanted. The weather was great and as Rachel said everything was perfect. However one thing really impressed me. When Chuck hung out the flag, Rachel ask if we could say the Pledge of Allegiance. Of course we did. But seeing her, an 8 year old little girl from Bali, standing straight and tall with her hand over her heart was an emotional time for me. It made me wonder how many things are taken for granted and if we will always have these freedoms.

May we not take these freedoms for granted.