It was nice to have a normal-ish holiday this year, after everything being cancelled in 2020. With the ongoing reckoning in this country about the way we have systematically beaten down and disenfranchised non-white citizens, this holiday is so much more nuanced than I used to understand. I don’t want to make light of that, or sweep it under the rug, and yet I do want to celebrate my home, and the many good things about the United States.
And so, we did. We joined the neighborhood bike parade in the morning, and this was the first year all four of us were able to ride the 1.25-mile “big kid” route! (There is also a 0.5-mile “little kid” route.) From there, it was time for a lot of swimming and barbeque at the pool. We relaxed for most of the afternoon, and avoided a few rainshowers, then enjoyed the Webster fireworks show. All in all, a nice holiday.
