What Does the 4th of July Mean to You?

The Fourth of July had never been my favorite holiday. Generally fighting traffic and large crowds of people, even if there are explosives being set off, is just not my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, I love a long weekend and an excuse to eat lots of dessert. I just enjoy it more in November or December.

This year is different though. As the nation gets ready to celebrate its independence at cook outs and parties, my brother is on his way to Afghanistan to make sure we can keep our reasons for celebrating. I don’t think it was intentional that he was deployed a few days before this patriotic holiday, but it does help me gain some perspective on the situation. I’m terrified that my little brother is fighting a war. He should be fighting with me over hogging the remote this weekend, not camped out in the Middle East! Yikes! At the same time I feel proud and inspired by his actions. Growing up we were taught to put others before ourselves and now he’s making the ultimate sacrifice for us.



This Fourth of July will mean much more to me than it has before. This year, while you’re eating hot dogs and watching fireworks with friends and loved ones, take a minute to remember the brave and selfless people who are putting their lives at home on pause so that we can continue to live ours.


And since this is technically a wedding blog, let's end with this beauty!