Celebrations That Last the Years

My favorite childhood memories are woven along the shores of the Pamlico River, in eastern North Carolina. At various times, as many as 14 family members would pile into my grandparents’ two-and-one-half-bedroom, one-bath house (with porch beds everyone fought over).

At first light, I’d help my dad pull in the fish net and see what treasures we had caught overnight. Days were full of swimming, and my Granny made sure we never missed a meal. Special nights were spent rocking on the screened-in porch watching flashes of lightning frame homes and the tree line across the river.

But, the ultimate nights on the river were when the sky lit up with fireworks on the Fourth of July. If you’ve never experienced fireworks over water, add it to your bucket list, and thank me later.

Besides the major fireworks display, my brother, cousins and I had our own fun with bottle rockets and sparklers — exploding gifts that arrived each year with family from Florida. During the day, we’d throw watermelons back and forth in the river, then slice them over a newspaper-covered picnic table in the front yard and get back in the river to “clean” our sticky faces and hands. As the sun set over the water, we’d enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixin’s for supper before settling in for the grand finale in the sky.

I wouldn’t trade those Fourth of July celebrations for the world. As our family has grown, and time has changed traditions, those memories come back every year as sweet reminders of important yesterdays.

This year marks 250 years of our country’s freedom. While all of our celebrations may look different, at the heart of our independence lies the chance to observe what matters most to us all. I hope we all take the time to do just that.

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— Meredith Bernard writes, photographs and celebrates her rural roots from North Carolina. Follow her on social media @thisfarmwife and visit her website at https://thisfarmwife.com

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