I have some very good memories of this day. For many years, we would get together at my Uncle Dave and Aunt Barb's home in Mishawaka, Indiana for a family gathering. These family gatherings were loud, chaotic, and usually only mildly dysfunctional. My Uncle Dave would cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. There was also almost always potato salad and a lot of other good food. We also got to have cake and ice cream since it was my Grandma's birthday. Grandma always got to have sparklers on her cake instead of candles.
After lunch we would sometimes play Euchre. Before they were determined to be a hazard and eventually banned, we also often played lawn Jarts. Some of my best post-dinner game memories are of playing croquet in the backyard with Grandma Buckley and some of my cousins. Even though she was well into her seventies and eighties, Grandma was quite a croquet powerhouse.
Our Independence Day/birthday celebrations ended with fireworks at Wilson Park in Mishawaka. My Uncle Dave would go over to the park early and park his pick-up truck to reserve a spot for our family. We would then carpool over to the park before the fireworks. We took blankets and lawn chairs. We sat on the ground and in lawn chairs. The fireworks were always an awesome display. There was a fireworks company in Mishawaka and they in partnership with the city provided a wonderful show. We would "ooh" and "aah" and wait with anticipation for the finale when they shot off a bunch of fireworks all at once.
After the fireworks came my favorite part of the entire day. Really, it was one of my favorite parts of the entire year and what would become one of my most cherished memories of the Independence Days of my childhood. We would all pile in the back of my Uncle Dave's pick-up truck for the ride back to his house. It was only a few miles but it was always so fun. There was just something so cool and fun about riding in the open pick-up bed with my family after watching fireworks. We never went very fast because it was usually stop-and-go traffic getting out of the park. However, there was usually at least a short distance where we got to go above 30 miles an hour. The night air would blow against my face and through my hair. We would ride in the back of that pick-up under the star-filled Midwestern sky and laugh together as we hung on for dear life. For that brief distance and for just a few short minutes, all seemed right with the world for that young boy that was me those many years ago.
I know, it's not safe to ride in the back of a pick-up truck. I know that it's illegal in most states now. But for some reason, I loved that annual ride home from the fireworks display.
My Mom posted on her Facebook page that if my Grandma Buckley were still alive, she would be 105 years old today. As I pause to reflect on this July 4th, I realize I really miss eating her birthday cakes with sparklers on them. I miss playing croquet with her. I miss hamburgers on the grill and fireworks at Wilson Park. But most of all, I really miss my Grandma.
As I write this blog post, I can see fireworks going off in the distance above the treetops. The memories are flooding into my heart and mind on this Independence Day night. I'm tempted to find someone with a pick-up truck and see if he or she will drive me around for a while.
Happy birthday Grandma Buckley! Thank you for all of the Independence Day memories. I love you and miss you!
Thanks for being a part of my journey!
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