This past weekend, we took the boys to Mackinac Island for a quick but thoroughly enjoyable family vacation. (More on that in a future post…) While we were there we visited an old military fort, Fort Mackinac, and the boys explored barracks, officer quarters, and old military offices. A sign elsewhere on the island proclaimed “Freedom isn’t free,” a reminder to civilians everywhere that we have the right to free speech, to disagree with our government, and to have our day in court in no small part because of the men and women who have served in our military to protect these freedoms.
As we get out our marshmallows and sparklers this week, I’ll talk to my kids about what the 4th of July really means. Between hot dogs and ice cream, we’ll discuss what makes our country different from so many others, and why people still leave their families, homes, and countries to begin a new life here. Before I tuck them in, we’ll say thank you, to their dad and to their grandfather, to their great-uncle and their great-grandfather, and to all of the others who have served their country so that we may freely call it ours.
Enjoy your freedom and your Fourth of July!
-Kirsetin
