The Fourth of July is my least favorite holiday, followed by Memorial Day and Veteren’s Day. Don’t get me wrong…I’m a very proud American. I also live in DC and those three holidays are the three holidays where we have an influx of tourists clogging up the metro and coming to a full stop while driving because they are lost. Not to mention the fourth of July is HOT in DC. Always over 95 degrees and always humid.

And my mom loved the Fourth of July. When we were younger we’d always go on a picnic with other family friends. When we were older my mom would pop popcorn, drag chairs to the driveway and have the neighbors over to watch the fireworks.

And no matter where she celebrated the Fourth, my mom would call me late in the night to wish me a Happy Independence Day and let me know she’d watched the fireworks over the US Capitol on the Capitol Fourth broadcast on PBS. She’d want to know where I was during the fireworks and how much fun I had.

Wherever you are, whatever fireworks you’re watching, Happy Independence Day from my mom Kathy and me!