I heard an interesting statement Thursday (July 3) a.m. on the television. I didn't get a lot of details, but her statement really touched me.

She was talking about special foods, and things we could do to celebrate the Fourth of July, especially with our younger childen. She pointed out that school books these days rarely talk about the foundation of our country and the founding fathers. She said that parents should teach their children about George Washington and other presidents - the schools are not doing it, and if we do not teach our children, our history will be lost.

It's more than going to somewhere like a hill near the Oakmont Country Club to watch fireworks at dusk. It's more than sparklers on the front lawn or even whether fireworks are legal in this town or that town. (Personally, I agree with something I once read - communities should offer workshops on using fireworks - aqnd stress safety. If you attend and pass, you can have that sparkler or little paper tanks that shoot sparkles out of the front...)

We need to tell our children family stories - about how their grandparents or great-grandparents came to this county and WHY they came to America.

I have always told our children these type of family stories, along with their own story about the day they were born. I want them to tell these things to their children, along with stories of their extended family.

The same goes for telling young ones about who founded our country, and how - the good, the bad, the ugly even.

If we continue to ignore our past, we may not have much of a future.

Happy Birthday, America. May your have many more happy celebrations.