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Happy Independence Day

In America, we celebrate our many freedoms on Independence Day, the Fourth of July. Writers are especially grateful for the freedom of speech. Here are a few of my favorite quotes (courtesy of quotegarden.com) about the significance of this holiday:

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  ~Erma Bombeck

For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Liberty is the breath of life to nations.  ~George Bernard Shaw

Do you notice the older we get, the more sentimental we can become? Perhaps I showed my age last year with this nostalgic Fourth of July post about my childhood in the Adirondacks.

On the music front, Billy Ray Cyrus may be better known as the Achy Breaky Heart singer, but he also performs this beautiful tribute to American soldiers–past and present.

 

Still here? I’ve gotta go. Time to make the margaritas and set up the appetizers. Enjoy your picnic, swim, and fireworks!

What stirs your patriotism?

16 comments on “Happy Independence Day

    1. Classic Erma, huh? When I’m especially homesick for my mom (she died in 2001), all I have to do is read some Bombeck and I’m back in my childhood home living room with her by my side.

      Thanks for stopping by. Happy Fourth!!

  1. I live in DC so it’s not hard to get my patriot on. But for me it’s the little things- more than frequent drives past monuments. Every year we go to a very little neighborhood 4th parade, and everyone participates from the local library to the local Brazilian dance team to local politicians (it is DC). Love the Fourth!

  2. Love the quotes, Jolyse! I raise a virtual glass to you and this lovely day — our big event is to walk down to our beach to see the fireworks, and then my daughter’s having a few friends over to roast marshmallows. Peaceful, Happy Fourth!

  3. I miss Erma Bombeck. I used to read her column all the time. Great quotes!

    Like Lynnerose,we go down to the beach and watch the fireworks on the mainland. Some are really spectacular. This year my daughter’s fiance brought over a firepit and we made s’mores afterwards until the rain put an end to it.

    Hope everyone’s 4th was safe and enjoyable.

    1. If you liked Erma Bombeck, Donna, you may enjoy Muffintop Mommy. Her debut book comes out this summer. I can’t wait. Check out her blog if you like.

      Fireworks and s’mores…great combination. Sounds like you had fun.

      Thanks for stopping by, and happy summer. 🙂

  4. I still remember as a teenager when the primary TV channel programming ended and the national anthem would be aired with a flag on the screen. Even though I was alone in the room, I would stand as it was played. The anthem still rouses that sense of patriotism, and the Pledge of Allegiance reminds me of what we have to be thankful for and strive to maintain: liberty and justice for all. Great post, Jolyse!

  5. I haven’t heard that Billy Ray Cyrus song for years – it always makes me want to shed a tear. (Yes also getting more sentimental in my old age). In NZ we remember our war veterans in a quiet, early morning ceremony (ANZAC day in April), But there is something joyful about the way you celebrate in the US! It is good to remember though.

    1. Your country’s ANZAC day sounds similar to our Memorial Day, celebrated on May 31st. That’s a quieter celebration than our Fourth of July. Flags are placed at the graves of our fallen veterans and people attend parades that generally end with the shooting of rifles and placing of wreaths at memorial sites. Thanks for stopping by, Raewyn and have a wonderful week! (It’s winter for you, right?)

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