We’re taking the day off, of course.
We’ll swim today. It’s hot here in Southern California.
Later we’re meeting some other families to share food and a picnic at our local lake.
We’ll wait until the sun has set and we’ll all watch the fireworks together.
Just a typical family celebrating a typical 4th of July.
With one small exception.
When I typically watch 4th of July fireworks, I pray. And I cry.
I know. That sounds so odd doesn’t it?
I am grateful to God. Oh, so grateful.
I’m grateful that this country took us in when we were wide-eyed, traumatized Cuban refugees.
I’m grateful and proud to call America my home.
I’m grateful for the freedom we’ve been afforded here. Something I will never take for granted.
I am grateful for my big, fat, Cuban family and my English husband and my Cuban-American kids, and my wonderful friends.
Those things will run through my mind as I’m watching fireworks.
And so I will pray to God and thank Him for it all.
And I will know I’ve connected with Him when the tears sting my eyes.
I am grateful to a living God who has a plan for my life and for this country.
So this 4th of July, I will be the uber-geeky, proud and happy Cuban-American celebrating my independence, who weeps while watching the fireworks. (sigh)
And, okay, I might be embarrassed for a moment, but I’ll get over it right away. 😉
Happy Independence Day from the Darby clan!
It was 44 yrs. ago today we came to this country. Marta, my tears will join yours tonight in Heaven as we too watch the fireworks from our little corner of So.Cal. God bless!Cuban by birth, American by choice.
Ileana -Me mataste! So cool.
…and many, many more fireworks for you this year. Especially when Andy Garcia gets his copy of My Big Fat Cuban Family Cookbook and he calls you to tell you he loves you in a hot spicy sofrito sort of way. (Don’t look, Eric!)We’re back in the ‘ville!
Marta, as I watched fireworks last night I thought how lucky I was that my young parents, at the time, took a leap with two small children and came to America. They left everything, family, home, posessions and most importantly their innocence. No money, no family or friends, just eachother with my brother and sister. Thanks to that, I was born in this great country and they became Americans too. Thanks Mami Y Papi for being so brave for all of us.Love you Marta, Mica (live from Universal Studios Orlando!)