Today is Independence Day and for me it brings back memories of my childhood and how we would spend every 4th at my grandparents’ house for a cookout. Growing up in Boston in the 1970s, there were cookouts and events across the city on the 4th. The day would end with fireworks on the Esplanade and music by John Williams and the Boston Pops. We never went but we would watch it on TV.
We had four major events during the year where our family would get together and it was usually at our grandparents’ house. They were Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and The 4th of July. The 4th was my favorite because we didn’t have to dress up and all we did all day was eat and play. We had all the standard foods, barbeque chicken, ribs, potato salad and macaroni salad and for dessert there was sweet potato pie, and my mother would always make apple pie for me. We played horseshoe and volleyball. We would listen to the latest music on record, cassette tape or 8-track (look them up on YouTube if you are too young to know what they are). It was a time we put aside those arguments and disagreements and enjoyed family time.
I miss those days. We dream that we would hold to those traditions even when we get older and have our own family but times change. We grow up and move on and some of the people we love who held those traditions together are no longer with us. I sometimes wish my children could have experienced those days with me. I suppose I could have been better at trying to create new traditions for my family but when we live in maybe next year suddenly, your family has grown, and those opportunities have passed.
It amazes me how much better we were back then at always making time to celebrate family. My mother did work hard and usually she worked 2 jobs to raise us, but she was always there for those special occasions. She was always there for her sons. When I look back on my life growing up, I can never remember a time when she wasn’t there. Especially on the 4th. My mother made the best potato and macaroni salad. I can still taste it.
As I sit here today and remember I hope that when my children look back on their lives, they will know that everything I have done and do today is for them. I work hard because I want the best for them, but I hope they remember all the plays and sporting events that they saw me at. Even though I had to work many holidays as a nurse, I would always make time to celebrate with them on those special days, and I pray that I have created amazing memories for them like my mother did for me.
Today I will remember the happy times of the many Independence Day celebrations I had as a child. I will honor and remember those who have passed and those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedoms. I hope that I have set an example for my children that with hard work, dedication, and learning from failures can turn your dreams and to reality.
Make today the beginning of your Independence Day. The freedom from the shackles that are holding you back, the violations of dignity that are weighing you down, and the lost hope you feel because of the roads blocks you face. We are all in this together and together we can be each other’s light through the darkness.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 