Fireworks

Independence Day is tomorrow (can you believe it?) and we are ready for the visit from family and friends.  My parents and I have been working hard to get the house and yard ready, as well as the pre-made foods and making sure the pool and outdoors look good.  And I am beat.  I am housesitting right now (have been for about a month now), so I've been doing a lot of driving back and forth between my housesitting house and my house.  And of course the gas prices would go up just for this weekend.  UGH!  Oh well.

Anyway, Tyler has also been staying at my parents house this past week.  He is only 6 years old, but he is such a big help to my Dad during the day.  Really, he is a blessing.  So yesterday when I was driving home to spend the day, I drove by several firework stands.  For as long as I can remember, we've been able to shoot fireworks off at our house.  Well, because of the severe drought right now, we really thought they wouldn't allow them, but they are (on the 4th only).  So, I thought I would go get Tyler, bring him to the firework stand and let him pick out some fireworks.  When I told him what we were going to do, he was so excited.  We went to the stand and wouldn't you know - the first thing he picked out was a rocket!  He is so funny!  The owner of the stand said "he is a male!" and by golly...he is!  He picked out the biggest, tallest RED rocket.  I can't imagine how far in the sky that thing will go tomorrow.  He will love it.

I was thinking tonight on my way to my temporary home about the song "Firework" by Katy Perry.  Most people will not listen to her because they don't like her music, but the words in this song say everything:

Firework

by Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag

Drifting through the wind, waiting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin

Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?

Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you

Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine

Just own the night like the 4th of July

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, oh, oh, oh

As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colors burst

Make 'em go, oh, oh, oh

You're gonna leave 'em falling down

You don't have to feel like a waste of space

You're original, cannot be replaced

If you only knew what the future holds

After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed

So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow

And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine

Just own the night like the 4th of July

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, oh, oh, oh

As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework

Come on, let your colors burst

Make 'em go, oh, oh, oh

You're gonna leave 'em falling down

Boom, boom, boom

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It's always been inside of you, you, you

And now it's time to let it through

 

This song says a lot.  Really.  I remember when I turned 30, I thought it was going to be hard on me.  But, it wasn't.  In fact, the year I turned 30 ended up being the best year of my life.  I feel like I "found" myself that year.  I found out who I wanted to be.  I used to be so uptight and cared about how everything and everyone was treated.  But for some reason, that year I learned that those things aren't important.  I learned that there was a person inside me that no one knew about.  The person that I really wanted to be.

So, maybe you're hiding.  Maybe you have a side in you that you just want to let go.  Let this song be a reminder to you this holiday season.  Be a firework.  Let your colors burst.

Happy 4th!