I love Independence Day. I am a huge fan of the US. I know that we have many, many flaws. But I thank God that He placed me in this country for such a time as this.
I love fireworks. I love the beautiful colors with patriotic music in the background. This year, I went to see the fireworks on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. After we arrived at our destination, and the fireworks started, I was enthralled.
This year, Independence Day has a greater significance to me. This year, on Independence Day, something happened in my life that I didn’t realize until I was debriefing with my mom. A major healing happened between me and my grandmother.
My grandmother was never your sterotypical grandmom. We didn’t spend a lot of time with her, and frankly, she was never the warmest person to me. I always knew that she loved me, but I never really thought that she liked me. The backstory is that she my youngest aunt was almost 5 years old when I was born. My grandmother was raising a kid while my mother was raising me. As a child, I didn’t comprehend this. I just felt rejection.
This weekend, though, I spent time with my grandmother, and we talked. She expressed frustration because she wasn’t able to be a grandmother to me. In that moment, 33 years of rejected and hardness that I’ve felt toward my grandmother melted. In that moment, I understood. God healed a relationship that was broken before I was born.
From this point forward, I will consider Independence Day the birthday of my relationship with my grandmom. Whenever I see fireworks, I will smile and think of my grandmom.
Deneen White 