The 4th of July is a day where people get together to set off fireworks, drink beer and eat hot dogs. Wait... Isn't it supposed to be a celebration, a remembrance of something from the past? Why has it seemed to just turn into how many fireworks people can blow up in a night or how many beers a man can drink? In the eyes of the youth, that's exactly what it is. It's a day to get to be loud and chaotic and destructive as they can possibly be. This day, Independence Day, is supposed to be a celebration of the day our declaration was adopted in 1776.

Don't get me wrong, I love lighting off a couple fireworks and spending the day with my family. John Adams started the fireworks going off on this day July 4, 1777 because he had always envisioned it that way. But I can't help but think of all the soldiers who have fought for the country since 1776 who have had to go through the explosions and loudness of the 4th. Soldiers with PTSD can be taken to a dark place where they're reliving moments of losing friends, their brothers and sisters, to explosives in the line of duty. I guess I can't help but think: how is this an appropriate celebration of our independence when the ones who continue to fight for us are suffering from it?

I do know that there are military families who will light off fireworks as well. It's just that, in a way, it seems like a lot of the 4th has become about the fireworks. Who on the block has the biggest, most expensive, and oftentimes most illegal; staying up forever just to light up the sky and keeping the whole neighborhood awake with you.

In my opinion, this day is about celebrating the fact that we have the country we do today with the people we love while also being considerate to our military. Yes, I love how fireworks look and seeing kids faces light up with their enthusiasm when they see them. I'm just not sure we need all the fireworks that are available to us in this day and age.

Will I be setting off fireworks this year? Maybe a few, but my favorite thing is the sparklers so I'll be with the little kids drawing things in the air. The biggest thing I'll be doing is spending this time with my family and making more memories to go into the memory book.

I'd like to give everyone a little challenge, though. Go around your immediate neighborhood, see who is lighting off fireworks, or ask the older generation what they might be doing. Maybe invite someone who isn't doing anything over. See if there are any vets or current military persons home and see if the fireworks will bother them. Ask around about a time that your own little neighborhood might want to stop lighting fireworks in respect to those older neighbors and military personal. Most importantly, stay safe while you're lighting the fireworks. Teach your children how to safely light them so they're aren't any emergency room visits.

Happy Independence Day!