2 mins 20 seconds
“The Fourth of July should be celebrated with big hearts.” — Camila Alves
At 6 p.m., every weekday, a gray speaker jutting out from the corner of a white-painted brick home, less than a mile from my house plays the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Taps.” I discovered this music one evening while I was outside doing some yard work. In a rare moment of quiet, I faintly heard the sound of a soulful trumpet, playing the last few notes of “Taps.” It was hard to hear over the hum of our air conditioner and the gentle toll of the hummingbird windchimes. And as quickly as I tried to figure out where it was coming from, the music had ended. The next night, I heard it again, this time, I propped the sliding door open and called my family out to hear it, too.
The following evening, it played again at the same time. And again the day after that. Our family, curious about its origin, decided to ride our bikes toward the music. We got there at 5:59 p.m. And at 6 p.m., the “Star Spangled Banner” played followed by “Taps,” a melancholic 59 seconds of trumpet that will forever steal my breath and instantly bring tears to my eyes.
“Taps” has always symbolized loss. It was played at my dad’s funeral and my father-in-law’s funeral and during the funeral for the 343 firefighters killed on 9/11 that I covered when I was a reporter in New York.
But on that cool October evening, those songs symbolized unity. We stood in the driveway across from the loud speaker, hands over our hearts, heads bowed, balancing our bikes between our legs and thankful for the gift that a stranger had given all of us – two minutes and 20 seconds of reverence.
I didn’t yet know that the woman who lived in the white-painted brick home had lost her husband a year after moving in and the scheduled recording of patriotic tunes was a tribute to him. When I read a Nextdoor post about the music, she responded to the thread, saying:
“I am the one playing the music. We moved here last April and my husband passed away in March of this year. He was not military but loved this Country so much and wanted to do this before he passed. A good friend of his put it together. I am so happy that everyone loves it. It warms my heart so much, and I know my husband is smiling down from heaven. Thank you for all the wonderful comments. Hope you continue to enjoy it. ❤❤ God Bless.
July 4 is the day Americans celebrate our independence, the sacrifices of the brave, our democracy and freedom, and it often feels like our country is broken. Crime is up. Morale is down. Inflation is high and stocks are low. There are more people than homes. The political scene is as divisive as ever and for some it’s hard to love a country that turned its back on so many so long ago. It feels hopeless and there’s still hope. We can love our country and be grateful to live here and question what is happening and has happened here. Those two opposites can exist together.
I choose to look for the light in those cracks, the good in the world, the generosity of strangers and memories of loved ones.
I have never met the woman who lives in the white-painted brick home, less than a mile from my house, but I accepted her gift on that cool evening, and am thankful to accept it every night since.
July 4, 2023