Happy Independence Day, USA

I love the 4th of July. The fireworks, the cookouts, the sparklers and glitter and patriotic songs...it's such a cliche, but I feel the pride welling up inside whenever the inevitable moment comes when someone sings "America, The Beautiful" during the fireworks show. It never fails to make me cry...

The thing is, we celebrate Independence Day every year by memorializing the Declaration of Independence and the white men who wrote and signed it. Now, I have no interest in disparaging those brilliant men; what they did was extraordinarily brave and I'm proud to live in the nation they helped to build. But that's a handful of men and there are so many more people, mostly unknown, that fought for liberty that should be remembered. Here I go:

• Joshua Barton, Joel Preston, Peter Young, Valentine Leonard (Sr. and Jr.): these are my direct ancestors who fought for independence, either by participating in the fighting or paying taxes to finance our new government. Joshua Barton also signed the Watauga Petition which resulted in the first government of Tennessee in 1772;
• Nancy Jane Agnew Young, who lost two sons in a far-away state on the same day and found a way to live through unspeakable pain;
• Joseph Young, who fought in the Civil War. Though he fought for the Confederacy, he fought to preserve a life he knew and loved and fought because he felt is was his duty to do so. Despite my seriously disagreeing with the cause for which he fought, I can't help but be proud of him;
• Ivy Peters Cuddy Pearcy Easter, who fought for woman suffrage and, as a result, helped enable me to vote one day;
• Lucinda Short Young Thomas, wife of Joseph Young, who lived to be 94 years old, experienced a life of great loss, and still carried on. She helped to raise my grandmother, her great-grandchild, giving her stability and love for the first 16 years of her life;
• Leonard Jack Beeker, who answered the call to fight in World War II, built airplanes for McDonnell-Douglas, and taught me that men do cry;
• Elizabeth Pearcy Beeker, who grew up to be strong and capable and smart, who taught me a love of history and of family, who introduced me to genealogy through her fabulous stories and who inspired me to become a librarian;
• Sandy Marino, who raised three children by herself (including me) and, every day of her life, modeled strength and courage (and still does!).

This is my family. They were here for those events that made this country the wonderful place it is. They participated in every event, large and small. They offered me freedom simply by living every moment of their lives and gifted me with this amazing nation in which I can live my own moments. I am so grateful and, today, I celebrate them.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Oh, and enjoy this picture of Emma in her Uncle Sam hat. If that child doesn't express joy of freedom and hope for the future, I don't know what does!!