Independence Day

Independence Day is coming. The Fourth of July makes me think of fireworks, barbaques, and that movie with Wil Smith.(the one where the aliens blow up the White House).I can't say I have seen that whole movie but Jack will stop to watch if it shows up on cable.

Another thing that I think of for this weekend is family and friends. You see, we almost always saw my in - laws on holiday weekends like this. They would usually have us over to swim and cook out. When scheduling events for the weekend, my Delaware peeps would know to ask, "When are you seeing the Ziegler's?" and we would schedule accordingly around it.

Because I like to entertain and see people, my holiday weekends could have us at 3 or 4 events between family, friends, and neighbors. This year is different. We left the Ziegler clan on the east coast as we departed the Outer Banks. Even if we were in Delaware the in -laws have JUST moved so there would be a new location for our gathering.

Here in Tennessee, I am still making friends and meeting neighbors. I don't know anyone well enough to invite them over. It makes me sad. I let the sadness wash over me in the van on the way home from the Outer Banks. Well, maybe not completly wash over me, but I did let it roll up and lap at my toes.

I know myself well enough to know, wallowing in sadness is not my thing. To that end, I have decided that like the colonists I too shall declare my independence in the state of Tennessee. This in no way means I want to go to war with my past in Delaware, but it does allow me to be embrace the fact that my family will have it's own quiet cookout, will watch the Independence Day Parade in Farragut, will go on a family bike ride and we are able to start our own new holiday weekend traditions.