The 4th of July

f you are like many Americans, you spent your 4th of July time with family and friends, probably picnicking, swapping stories, unfurling your flags, and eating barbecue, grilled burgers, hot dogs, and potato salad. Adults were busy tossing back a few beers or glasses of wine and everyone ended the day with the classic fireworks show.

If you were fortunate, you did so with a toddling child whose face was filled with wonder as the thunderous display from the sky exploded into shifting patterns and faded into darkness.?This light show in the sky comes with the sounds of the crowds OOH-ING and AWWiNG in unison. Hopefully, you could participate in some of these hallmarks of the traditional celebration.

Facebook feeds will be flooded with pictures tomorrow of parents who snapped profiles of their children, seeking to capture the fleeting joys of early childhood.

In all our travels these past ten years, no matter the country or the culture, family celebrations are the central heartbeat worldwide.?No matter our accomplishments, achievements, or goals, the family is where we come from and where we return.

Over the holiday weekend, my son called to let me know about a new product that he is creating that interfaces and builds on the possibilities of AI to stream your publishing if you are one of the 455 million websites built using WordPress. (I've been asked to do an alpha test on the product and will share my feedback in about six weeks). It was terrific to witness his excitement in this phase of peak creation. (My OOH-ING and AWWiNG happened for the genius of the new product).?

As we were rounding out the call, I asked how the kids were doing, and he related that his eight-year-old boy lost his third tooth - robbed by the fate of his ability to cash in on his first two lost teeth. (One swallowed, one was lost).

He prepared himself this time to make every effort to save this tooth to place under his pillow. He had carefully monitored the loosening progress and mentioned to the family that morning that the last thread holding the tooth in place was about to be severed. Near dusk, he was playing with his rambunctious friends rolling around in the way that puppies and children tend to do, playfully lost in the moment. Forgetting himself, he lifted his arm to his face landing a faux punch, and of course, the tooth went flying, landing out of sight.

My son shared "suddenly, I heard a blood-curdling scream and a cry of sheer anguish, followed by a lot of commotion," and had to run outside to see what was happening.

His eight-year-old was crumbling in a puddle of self-recrimination, dramatically re-enacting his planned steps to prevent this outcome.?Mom, Dad, and the entire community tried to find the lost tooth.?One of the Moms valiantly offered a $5.00 reward to anyone who could find the tooth.

Alas, it was not to be - at least before bedtime that night. After much consoling, a deeply disappointed child fell into an exhausted sleep.

Hero Dad subsequently rounded up a UV flashlight returning to the scene of Mother Nature's cavalier crime and?found the tooth.?The next morning the child was as enthusiastic and joyous, completely forgetting how discouraged he'd been the night before.

Allow your heart to sink into how the simplest choice to go the extra mile to show your love for those you love makes life more meaningful. And then make those choices.?As?Rich?suggested in his last post, let's request a new holiday, Interdependence Day!?

Who can YOU delight today with a simple, thoughtful gesture??

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