這就是美國人! Happy Birthday, America!

July 4th is a big day for my family. It's my father's birthday. Currently, he is somewhere in Europe on a cruise, so I can't wish him a Happy Birthday even if I want to. I am glad that he is enjoying life and doing what he loves the most--traveling. Happy Birthday, Grandpa, from your family in Los Angeles!

July 4th is also America's birthday. My family celebrates it every year by going to the beach to see the fireworks. It's a tradition that I started when I was a graduate student in Philadelphia. In 1988, I went down to Washington, D. C. with my friends to see the fireworks in front of the Washington Monument. I parked myself on a hill at the National Mall and waited until the darkness came. It was spectacular seeing the marvelous display of fireworks at our nation's capital. Then it just so happened that my first trip with my husband was to New York City on July 4, 1997 and we were able to see the Macy's fireworks over the Hudson River. Over the years, we would make an effort to see fireworks every July 4th, no matter where we are. Even when my kids were babies, we would bundle them up (yes, it would still be cold and windy on July 4 in Los Angeles), put them in strollers and took them to the beach to see July 4th fireworks. Most of the time, my kids would have fallen asleep in the strollers before the fireworks began. This year, we had another family joining us at the beach. The kids sat together and waited patiently for the fireworks to start. The grownups sat in folding chairs and chatted.

My kids were really excited about July 4th. After all, today is their country's birthday. They are proud to be Americans. They say the Pledge of Allegiance at school every morning, and they mean it. It makes people like me, who pledge allegiance to a country that doesn't exist, think about what it means to have a country that they can be proud of. When they woke up this morning, they put on outfits that they had already picked out yesterday. They wore red, white, and blue!

美國國慶日是我父親的生日。我們通常會用這做籍口,全家會聚在一塊兒一起去玩。 可是今年不一樣,在六月中旬,我爸媽就已經從台灣飛到歐州去坐遊輪了。 所以今年我們全家無法一起慶祝阿公的生日。 到目前為止,阿公阿嫲還在船上。雖然無法親口祝福我父親生日快樂,不過我知道他現在過得很愉快,正在做他最愛的事....那就是坐船環遊四海。快樂也不過是如此--做自己愛做的事!

我家有二個土生土長的美國人。今天對他們來講是個重要的日子, 是美國獨立的日子。他們在學校的每一天早上都要朗誦對美國的效忠誓約 (Pledge of Allegiance)。了不起的是, 美國小孩對於自己國家的效忠熱情不會因為總統是誰而改變或減少。愛國就是愛自己的國家。 我的小孩生長在美國,他們愛美國也是無法改變的事實。真是讓做為臺灣人的我有所省思。

在美國國慶日看煙火是我家的傳統。1988年的美國國慶日,我正在東岸讀研究所,那天我與同學做火車到華盛頓,去到 National Mall 前,坐在山坡上等看煙火。白天野餐、下午聽 PBS (美國公共電視台) 的露天演奏會、晚上看煙火--真是終身難忘。 畢業後, 我也曾經到費城碼頭邊看煙火。 結婚前跟老公去了一趟紐約。剛好是美國國慶日,兩個人就順著38街,往河邊方向走。在 Hudson River 旁,我們看到 Macy's 的煙火秀。那時真的是非常開心。 那種場面也是前所未有的。

現在做媽媽了,我和老公在每年的美國國慶日都帶著小孩到 Redondo Beach 的海邊看煙火秀。那裏的煙火秀都晚上九點半才開始。 年年都要早點到海邊 “站/佔” 位子。 洛杉磯沿海一帶的城巿都有放煙火的習慣。所以站在 Redondo Beach 的海邊,往左望,可以看到 Palos Verdes 市所舉辦的煙火會。往右望,可以看到 Manhattan Beach 市一直到 Santa Monica 巿 (甚至於 Malibu 巿) 所舉辦的煙火會。真的會讓人嘆為觀止!

我的兩個小孩其實已經是蠻大了,他們有他們自己慶祝美國國慶日的方法。姊弟倆在昨天就選好今天要穿的衣服。一早起床就穿上一身的紅、藍、白! 笑死我這個做媽的!