So My neighborhood Had A Fourth Of July Parade.....

A couple of weeks ago, a couple of us girls decided to have a neighborhood 4th of July parade. Most working people celebrate America's day of freedom with a day off to catch up on chores, grill, or just rest. When I asked my grand-daughter, who is nine, what did the 4th of July mean to her and she responded with another question..."Nana, isn't that when we threw all that tea in the ocean?" I knew then she needed educating and what better way than a parade? So, it was short notice, but we set out to do the impossible.

We began by placing notes on everyone's mailboxes and heard from two people and we panicked. We also contacted our local police and fire departments asking them to show up with vehicles.....heard nothing. This is an election year in Mississippi, so we also invited political candidates to ride in the parade. We then taped another note on everyone's mailboxes reminding them of the parade....and again heard very little. We had contacted vendors asking for donations to award the best decorated float, car, ATV, bikes, etc. We were also having a "Strut Your Mutt" contest awarding prizes for the best decorated pet. Vendors were more than generous.

So, we were down to the wire on Tuesday....the day before the parade and, even though we did hear from a few people, we had no idea if our little parade was going to be a hit or a flop.

So, the morning of the 4th, I rode my bike to our park, where the parade was ending, to set up tables for watermelons to be eaten after the parade. I then rode to the boat launch, where the parade was going to start. No one was there and I panicked, but it was 2 hours before the parade was to begin. So, I went home and hoped for the best.

One hour before the parade was to begin, I again went down to the boat launch and as I was riding down there, I began to see my neighborhood coming to life. People were beginning to set up their lawn chairs in their front yards and I just crossed my fingers hoping they would not be disappointed. As I rounded the corner of the boat launch, I was shocked at what I saw. Our parade was going to be huge. There were 10 political candidates who had brought their support teams passing out everything from fans to bumper stickers. The fire department sent out their biggest fire truck and our local police had not one, but three police cars. The neighborhood went all out decorating cars, trucks, ATV, motorcycles, bikes, etc. We even had a couple of motorized wheelchairs that retired ladies decorated. So many children had their faces painted red, white and blue. Dogs in their costumes were jumping up and down. Our local pet store, PetsMart, sent out 4 of their employees, to participate in the parade.

As we began the parade, the neighbors cheered us on like we were heroes. I was amazed and since that day, I have thought a lot about our "little" parade. America celebrates Christmas, St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Day with a parade. But, very little is done on the 4th of July, which should be America's most important day. From the turn out of our parade, my neighborhood wanted to say, "Happy Birthday, America" and we are proud of you.

What I have decided is that the 4th of July is a lot like relationships we have in our lives. If we do not nurture the relationships we have, those relationships will die. The same is true with America. It's time Americans stood up and said, "We Love You." You don't have to agree with everything America does because you don't agree with everything your spouse, friends, parents do. Right? But, you love them with unconditional love. The same is true with America. I have a flag that I fly proudly 365 days a year to let everyone know how I feel about my country.

I love America.

Paulette

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