So what is the 4th of July?

"I suppose if you have to have a brat, you might as well have a beer with it..."

My brother in Christ,
Roger Johnson 

Here it is folks. We have waited all winter for it. Not only winter, but the spring which would never end. Nothing says summer time like the 4th of July does! It is our season. It is the time for picnics, parades, brats, hot dogs, burgers, you name it. It is the one day of the year that everyone seems to grill, if they like to or not.

One of the bar jokes that went around years ago that won many a beer had to do with the 4th of July. The question was "Do they have the 4th of July in England". Well of course not, most would answer. That is when we declared our independence. Well, the answer was yes, for the 4th of July is just another summer day. It is no different than the 3rd or 5th of July. However, our Independence Day is whole other issue. WE celebrate our Independence Day on the 4th of July.

Over the years I have thought much about our founders when they penned our Declaration of Independence. It is an excellent document - short and sweet. If I could put myself in the heads of the founders back in 1776, I believe they would want us to remember the significance of our independence every 4th of July. They would want us to remember the honor, sacrifice and forethought used to create our Declaration of Independence. That being said, they would also want us to celebrate. Why? As this was then, and still is now, a huge deal.

So this year, please give a thought to what started it all. After the thought, go ahead and have that brat, and maybe even a beer. It is okay - it is part of the celebration. We can have a party with a purpose very summer on this day. It is not just the 4th of July - it is our Independence Day!