Neighborhood July 4th
July 4th Memories
I love fireworks, especially set to patriotic music. I also love crowds. It comes at no surprise, then, that I look forward to Fourth of July celebrations. Memories of hot summer evenings sitting on a blanket, squeezed in between others gathered to watch the nightly display, are a delight to me.
There were years when I saw fireworks in small towns. Other years I had my daughters in tow while my husband carried the picnic basket, looking for a spot among the throngs here in Phoenix. My grandmother took me to view fireworks in Chicago when I was a little girl. In college I watched them from the shoreline of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. I enjoyed each celebration in its own way.
Pandemic Changes
But my favorite Independence Day happened in 2020. There were no big pyrotechnical displays that year because of the pandemic. Everyone needed to find a way to celebrate on their own.
Up until about ten years ago, fireworks were illegal where I live. When that changed, folks could purchase, then set off, bottle rockets and Roman candles, among other small explosives, right in their own yards and driveways. You could find them in stores, but most still went to the big gatherings in town to watch the grand productions.
Neighborhood Pyrotechnics
On July 4th, 2020, I went for my nightly walk around the neighborhood. I found friends and family members sitting outside on lawn chairs and blankets. Dads stood at grills flipping hamburgers. Coolers filled with ice and beverages lay on the grass nearby. Then moms and dads, uncles and aunts, began setting off fireworks, to the delight and admiration of squealing children and me.
My neighbors seemed to have forgotten about the pandemic that night. They were having fun. They were together. Nothing compares to the giant fireworks that fill the sky with colorful light, but the children didn’t seem to mind.Their families were together. They got to see smaller fireworks up close. It was a different kind of drama, for sure, but a display nonetheless.
A New Tradition
I found it interesting that even when city-wide fireworks events were once again scheduled, many of the neighborhood families continued on in the pandemic way. A new tradition emerged. They seemed to have discovered the joy of a simpler way of celebrating. They discovered the joy of being together.
God has wired us for relationships. We want a place to belong. Traditions and memories are a part of that experience. It’s why He sets the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6.) It’s why He placed us as believers in the family of God. We can support each other through challenging times. We can also play and have fun. We need both experiences to enjoy a healthy connection.
I plan to walk through my neighborhood again on the evening of July 4th this year. I will greet all of the revelers and sneak a peek at their displays as I walk by. I will turn around and view the grand fireworks in the distance. I will then loop back home and get out my stash of sparklers, sharing them with family members in my backyard. It’s my new tradition. It’s the best.
Psalm 34:3 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”
Questions to Ponder: How did the pandemic help you to appreciate a simpler lifestyle? How did it affect your relationships?