Wednesday, July 6

Family, Friend and Fourth of July 7/6/11

    How is everyone?
My Fourth of July was fine. My sons, a friend and I spent the day together, enjoying the patriotic occasion in warm weather tempered by breezes from the San Francisco Bay. We gathered at 9:00 a.m. and hung out until 8:30 p.m. At that point I spent the rest of the evening with one of my sons until 12:30 a.m.

     Witnessing a parade, allowed us to take in some Americana. There's something to be said
about honoring our nation, flag waving (we each had a small one) and getting to know the others standing curbside with us as we rooted for those who strode or rode by,  in an assortment of cars, trucks, jeeps, jalopies, one-of-a-kind vehicles and horses.

1. I'm thankful for creating memories with my sons and a friend. I'm thankful for all those who serve our nation. I honor all who defended the liberty that our flag represents, some, who did so with the utmost measure of devotion, their lives.
Sailboarding on the SF Bay---what we watched as we munched on chicken
     Later, picnicking along the San Francisco Bay, with a view of Alcatraz, The City, the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges, along with Angel Island, was both refreshing and invigorating for my weary eyes.  Sail boarders zipped along the bay, along with the sailboats, both were pushed by the Pacific Ocean wind that blew in through the Golden Gate, moving them and cooling those of us along the shore.  We tossed an Aerobie for what seem like 30 minutes. In actuality, it was several hours.

What we tossed for several hours, on the Fourth of July. No, this is not a  picture of me.

2. I'm grateful for the grandeur of  Bay Area, for time spent with my sons, the connection we shared as we laughed and enjoy the fitness of our bodies as we ran, jumped and sailed a ring in the air during the afternoon. 
Fun at a bay side park, Crab Cove, in Alameda, kept us busy. The best part? Our conversation. I know moments like these will become rarer. So, I cherish moments like yesterday.

3. I'm thrilled seeing growth in my sons, growth in their insights, wisdom, spirituality and character. I'm humbled they share what's going on in their lives. I am a fortunate man., better sons, I could not have asked for. The best thing about my sons is their character. It's more important than attainments or possessions. What is astonishing about my sons is the strong relationship they have with God.  They are discovering  He is loving, gracious and gentle, in addition to his majesty and power. 

    What about you? How was your Fourth of July?  You've just heard an outpouring of my gratefulness. Would it be possible for me to hear yours?  That would be great and meet my need for reciprocity, equality and community. Even if you read this on a later date, I'd love hearing your response to this post.  It is never too late to post in any of the posts I write. I'll see your comments and promise to respond.

    Blessings to you, is my prayer.

               The Innkeeper

3 comments:

Kelly said...

Independence Day was wonderful for me, as well. The majority of my family stayed home, but my sister and her boyfriend and my son and I headed downtown to watch the fireworks. I am grateful to be able to be a part of a crowd so large. Something about being a part of something bigger than I am, something that is moving and living and breathing in its own right, is just thrilling.

I am also grateful that I decided to do what I wanted (watch fireworks) than to co-dependently stay with the rest of my family out of habit and guilt of 'needing to be together as a family'. The end results were that we all ended up enjoying our day, even though we were not together. An exercise in independence on Independence Day. How appropriate.

I'm grateful for the communication I've had with people (including you) lately. It is nice to exchange thoughts and compare viewpoints with other people.

Pablo said...

Kelly,

Good for you, and your sister! I bet it was hot and sticky, but it sounds like the day made you happy and you enjoyed your connection with the "mob." :->

What did you son say about the fireworks? It certainly sounds like your convictions are getting stronger and you're having a growth spurt. I'm happy for you. It's great hearing how you're celebrating life.

Life is more enjoyable when we experience closeness with others, I agree. Enjoying respect from others is pretty good, too. I'm glad there are many cheering you on, Briar, Syd, Chocolate lover, Poetic Soul and myself, among others, who are your Balcony People. You deserve them.

I pray this summer will the best you've ever had.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

Josiah said...

It's been some time since our Fourth of July celebration but I would like to thank you for the time we had together.

I'm thankful for the nice parade we saw and tossing the aerobie around, but most of all talking about spiritual things with one another as we ate watermelon at the park bench.

Thanks Dad, for taking the time to pour into us and for teaching us practical skills that we can use in our daily lives.

Quotes from the Posts

"I'm mindful that our thoughts affect the words we use, our words influence our actions, our actions shape our character and our character determines our destiny."

From "My Character Determines My Destiny." To read it, please click here.

"Progress not perfection, is better than no progress at all, especially when we're trying to rid ourselves from unwelcome dragons that dwell within the closets of our soul."

From, "Still Learning" which, within four days, became the most popular post
written. To read it, please click here.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble, but it does empty today of its strength"
From the post: "Life Is Not a Correspondence Program." Click here to read it.

"Even though we cannot control our circumstances, we can control how we choose to respond to them."

From, "Handling Stress and Dealing With an Emotional Bully."Click here to read this post.

"Nope, being busy isn't exciting. Boring is good. Because boring is not boring; boring is being healthy, living a balanced life that has serenity"

From: "Do You Know What It Means If You Are Too Busy?" For more, please click here.

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