It is said that every story has two sides. We all like to put our best foot forward in life. We like our memories to be good ones. No one wants to remember the tough ol’ days. Nostalgia is built on good memories and the good ol’ days.
The Fourth of July story has another side (read the other post first). It is the side that we don’t really want to remember, but it happened too. Not everything in my life is roses no matter how much I spin it.
The Fourth was a hot, hot day in July. We had been without air-conditioning since July 1. Our house felt more like a sauna than a welcome retreat. We spent the days before the Fourth out of the house as much as possible, seeing moving and eating out. Todd had a “to do” list a mile long and he was starting to get anxious that he would not finish it all during his week of vacation. He wanted to get started on things and today was the day. Did I mention how hot it was? The perfect conditions under which we should be working on house projects. So to prevent us from arguing, I entertained the kids in the heat while Todd worked.
No one wanted to do anything I suggested. Everyone was BORED. Yet somehow they still looked like they were having fun with their water guns and sprinklers. Yet, they still complained...It was too hot to do anything. Can we please do fireworks now? Is it time yet? When?
Dinnertime came and it was too hot to cook. It was too hot to eat. Nothing tasted good. Is finally time for fireworks yet?
It was time for fireworks and the neighbors came home and the cousins came over! Hallelujah, life is great! The kids let off all the fireworks they had convinced Daddy to let them buy, with their own money, at the firework tent near our house. They let off all the fireworks they had convinced Daddy and Grandpa to buy them too. Sparklers, it turns out, are so LAST year. Todd taught the boys how to use the lighter wand and light the fireworks themselves (foreshadowing problems for later for sure). They were big kids with the power of explosives. Then it was time to go to the big fireworks!
It was too hot to stay home anyway so we all piled in the car and followed the neighbors to the local viewing area. Everyone got bug spray and glow sticks. Zach saw the neighbors and ran to meet them. All lessons about looking for cars while crossing the street had been forgotten in the invincibility he felt drunk with the power of explosives. Screeching breaks was the only sound of his impending doom. Well that and the screeching sound of his mother’s voice calling out his full name. Fortunately he is fast on his feet, even in flip flops.
We get settled in and the bugs start biting through the bug spray. The hot kids are fighting with one another over who has the most glow sticks and whose glow sticks combined make the colors of their favorite football teams (seriously!). They all whine about how long we have to wait…when will it start?
But as soon as the first splash of color fills the air, they settle in. The rest of the story is exactly how thing happened. The rest of the night was magical! Which is why I can look back and remember how wonderful the Fourth is every year, even with all the fighting, whining and boredom all that waiting creates. That is why I love fireworks!
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