Fireworks for the Fourth

Fireworks over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis…taken by Steven Mosborg this year.

My earliest memory of a Fourth of July celebration was at Aunt Mary and Uncle Walter’s in Walnut Hills. Aunt Mary was actually my mother’s niece. But she was the same age as my mom since her sister was 21 when my mother was born. My mother was a classic” Oops Baby”, which explains so much about her persona. So we called our cousin Aunt Mary. 

Over the years, mom figured out that Aunt Mary was a deeply kind soul who never said no when Mom pronounced, “I’m dropping the kids over for a day at the neighborhood pool.”

So we’d spend mornings at Walnut Hills pool, then trek up the hill to Aunt Mary’s where she’d feed us, and we’d loll about until we’d gathered the energy to go back down to the pool where Mom would pick us up at the end of the day. 

I have no idea what my mother did on those long summer days with no kids at home, but I know Aunt Mary worked hard to feed us, dry towels for us, and provide a haven of comfort and calm when needed. 

And that’s how Fourth of Julys were at their place. Mom would announce - “We’re going to Aunt Mary’s to see fireworks.” So much easier to sit on her back lawn and watch fireworks shot off - and an easy drive home. And Aunt Mary, or actually Uncle Walter, would grill hot dogs and there would be potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, all the things. Oh - and pop. Something we didn’t have at home, but no one noticed when we nabbed one at Aunt Mary’s.

Fireworks were spectacular when we lived in Washington in the early 1980s. That was when going down to Capital Hill to sit on the lawn overlooking the Washington Monument was no big deal. The symphony would play, and we’d await the 1812 overture which was the signal that fireworks were about to begin. The whole thing felt like a larger version of the fireworks from my childhood - just with a remarkable backdrop, excellent musical accompaniment, and several thousand neighbors sharing the lawn. 

And now that I’ve actually existed for close to a third of this nation’s existence, I enjoy  fireworks at a distance. We watched the spectacular explosions over New York City and Nashville, and the highly produced musical performances that backed them up. 

By then, we were in a postprandial stupor as we hosted a Vintage 4th Cook Out with former neighbors, dear friends, and family earlier in the evening. We thought it important to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the affirmation by the original Congress of the values and principles embedded in our Constitution - those articulate framers of our nation’s potential. 

They imagined a future of independence, liberty, and the freedom to pursue happiness…a work in progress for this nation of ours. Hope you have had an opportunity to celebrate.