Fourth of July – Patriotism to Carry On
As a kid, Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. From the day at the beach or pool to the great barbeques to the wonderful fireworks, I loved it all. While I loved each of these things, it did little to really instill what the holiday truly means and the history behind it. Sure, I knew that all about the Declaration of Independence and why we were celebrating but I can’t say that I really felt as much about being American and the freedoms it comes with as I do now.
Then, September 11th occurred. It was only my husband and I and we lived in Connecticut. My husband commuted to New York City for work everyday. I taught in a school where most of the parents worked in areas like Wall Street. I’ll never forget that day - getting a note to meet in the conference room of the school’s main office, having no idea what had even happened. I remember the feeling of nausea that overcame me when my principal shared what had happened. All that I heard was “explosions,” “World Trade Center” and “Pentagon.”
Chris, my husband, always had meetings at different places in the city and was often in and near the World trade Center Area. My brother worked in Washington D.C., specifically in the Pentagon. I called my husband and brother immediately but could not get through. It went on like that for a while until my husband was finally able to reach me and tell me that he was fine but stuck in the city for some time. We could not find Greg, my brother.
It seemed like forever but finally we were able to locate Greg, shaken but unharmed. He had just gotten out of the Metro at the Pentagon stop when the building was hit. While he saw what happened, he was able to grab someone nearby and whisk himself and the stunned onlooker away safely. And with even more luck, no parents of the children in the school I taught in were directly impacted by this tragedy. The next day, as we talked to the students, we sensed their disbelief and sorrow, but even more profound was their great sense of patriotism and their belief that out nation would overcome this terrible tragedy. The days that followed were filled with both tears and American flags, red, white and blue colors and greater pride in being Americans.
Since September 11th, July fourth has become a more meaningful holiday for me and many others. It has become a day to stop, reflect and realize all the opportunities and freedoms that we have. It is a day to think about the rich history of our country’s independence and the work it took for our forefathers to get there. It is a day to remember those that fight still today to keep these freedoms alive. I feel that it is our honor and duty to pass these remembrances on to our kids this and every Fourth of July.
The links below contain some great activities for kids of various ages and are just an easy way to begin telling the kids all about our great nation and helping them to gain a greater sense of patriotism. Happy Fourth everyone!
Crafts for kids of various ages:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/usa/crafts.html,
http://www.familycorner.com/dir/Family/Holidays/Fourth_of_July/Crafts
Coloring pages: http://www.coloring.ws/usa.htm
Lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner: http://wilstar.com/holidays/ssbanner.htm
Written history of the Fourth of July: http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/history.html
Drawing a Star from the Flag: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagstar.html
4th of July short stories to print: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/fourth-of-july/short-stories/index.html
Recipes for kid’s food: http://www.thefamilycorner.com/family/kids/recipes/july_4th.shtml
Outdoor Activity Ideas
Red, White and Blue Water balloon toss
Play Capture the Flag
Hula Hoop Contest with Red, White and Blue hoops