In that hot summer 245 years ago, we declared our independence from England, letting the British know that we would no longer suffer under their tyrannical rule.
Brave men and women gave life to the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy today through struggle, hardship and even death.
In the last 16 months, we have gone through hardships of our own, some that drastically curtailed our freedoms and our abilities to enjoy this great nation and all it has to offer.
COVID-19 hit us hard, and last summer, there were no Fourth of July gatherings. There were no festivals and no opportunities to enjoy fellowship to celebrate our many blessings together.
In March of 2020, most if not all of us felt that by July 4 of that year, we would be through this pandemic business and back to our lives. We did not understand then what we were up against, and we learned quickly that we were going to have to struggle quite a bit longer than we thought.
Now, that struggle is over.
It took COVID-19 for many of us to realize just how many blessings we have to count in our lives. It took that time locked up in the house away from our families to learn what was important in this world and how we should appreciate it.
On this Fourth of July weekend, we have the chance to make up for lost time. We can hug, and laugh and revel together again.
In Demorest on Sunday night, there will be a concert and fireworks show that is meant to unite the community as a small part of the America that is coming back to us now. It is an exciting benchmark for us to continue finalizing our recovery.
Seeing smiling faces again has been a major boost to the morale and strength of our nation, and we cannot discount the value of that as we build and grow our community.
So get out and enjoy the weather, watch some fireworks and reflect on the life we have been given back. We can never forget how we got this freedom, our veterans who have guarded it for us all these years and what it means to each and every one of us.
Happy Independence Day.