Independence Day Prayers
Independence Day Prayers
By Cate Rees-Hessel
I recall as a very young teen wearing a red white and blue satin scarf top while having a picture taken with Senator John Heinz when America turned 200. We had to use an actual camera with a flash bulb back then.
This year I added special decor to my patriotic decorations, planning on watching fireworks, and standing for our National Anthem at the water park. A concert might be nice, too. As much as I love celebrating our nation, I am very disturbed by the fact Donald Trump is in the Oval Office – that puts a damper on the festivities. During the bicentennial we had a real president, James Earl Carter Jr.
Is it wrong to want to celebrate presidential impeachment or 25th Amendment invocation for our nation’s birthday party? Nope, it is not, because I love my country and our military. I want the felon imbecile out of office before we can’t celebrate 251 years of freedom. We must, however, endure, try to make the most of the 250 years, and continue to pray our freedoms are not taken away along with our Social Security.
Will ICE agents ruin events this Independence Day? Will “The Donald” embarrass our country even more than he already has? Will there be a social media rant on the Fourth of July from Trump wrongly blaming Presidents Obama and Biden for everything that has gone wrong for the orange monster? Can we expect a surprise military dictator parade?
Let’s try our best to enjoy ourselves on this patriotic holiday. Here are a few things we can do to have some fun for our nation’s birthday. There should not be any Trump MAGA rally when we need to be celebrating our 250 year old democracy. As Pride Month comes to a close, we stand with the LGBTQ community. As we continue to celebrate the birth of our nation this month, let’s not let the Republicans ruin our holiday. Here are 17 cute ideas to remember 1776:
- Make a flag cake using blueberries and cherries or strawberries with vanilla frosting
- Wear patriotic attire, my favorite is my Made in America Tee.
- Listen to Lee Greenwood sing “God Bless the USA” and try not to cry. I respect Mr. Greenwood’s refusal to sing at the 2024 Republican convention.
- Grill some corn on the cob and unprocessed hot dogs
- Leave fireworks to the professionals like the fabulous Zambelli Fireworks. Home fireworks are unsafe and responsible for numerous Independence Day injuries and fires.
- Watch a patriotic film or read a patriotic book. I suggest the American Revolution documentary by Ken Burns.
- Play baseball, or if you are fortunate to have a MLB team go out and cheer on the hometown boys.
- Attend a patriotic concert or play.
- Enjoy a parade.
- Envision a beautiful blue wave while at the pool or beach
- Plan a picnic in the park.
- Take a drive in the country
- Check your local museums, libraries, and municipalities for special events to commemorate our nation’s 250 year history.
- Check your cable or streaming service for shows celebrating the birth of our nation. For example, The Disney Channel will have 24 hours of special programming on July 4th.
- Find fifty year old photos or souvenirs from our bicentennial to display and look over, sweet memories.
- The Washington DC History and Culture organization had a special two night virtual program featuring the music from 1976. Play those old tunes on a turntable and dance like everyone is watching.
- Eat warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and pray for our country.
That blue wave is coming soon…but only if you vote.
