Tonight as the last of the day’s light faded from the sky, I joined several family members at the Joplin Sports Complex. We hauled out our lawn chairs and planted ourselves in a grassy area, ready to enjoy the city’s 4th of July celebration.
This is the first year that the city fireworks display has been held at the sports complex. We easily found a place to park and walked a short distance to our grassy knoll. To avoid conflict with the Blasters baseball fireworks celebration tomorrow evening, Joplin held their event on the 3rd.
I enjoyed the evening, and chatting and laughing with my mom, sister Linda, great-niece London, Greg and Roy. The rain moved through our area this afternoon and the evening was perfect…clear, breezy, mild.
Although technically I passed the year’s halfway mark a couple of days ago, July 4 always reminds me that the year is half gone. In my mind, the 4th of July is the apex of the year, and the journey begins the downward descent now toward December 31.
As a child, this mid-year date was tinged with sadness. I’ve always been keenly aware of the relentless passage of time, and this festive holiday not only signaled the halfway mark in the year, but also reminded me that summer was well underway and the new school year loomed ahead.
Now July 4 is a gentle, joyful reminder that I’m at the halfway mark. I paused to reflect on where the path has led, and to relax deeply into the moment and the journey. I trust the flow of life to carry me throughout the rest of the year and I’m excited to see where the trail goes from here.
Tonight, I expressed gratitude for my country, my family, and my freedoms. And for the incredible joy that accompanies me on the journey.
