Birthday celebrations
A time to look back and forward
July 4, 2026 has arrived and departed, bringing joy and fear across the land. Who are we, and where are we going? What will happen next to each of us, personally and as a country? I have nothing grand to add to the speeches and editorials, so I’m sharing some random thoughts along with the art and observations of some readers and neighbors.
It was the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—and 150 years of statehood for Colorado—but I can’t ignore the fact that it was also my 79th birthday. I slept through the fireworks but woke to extra good vision with a new lens to replace the dim light of a cataract. I won’t bore you here with the details, but the surgery is relatively painless and then you have to apply eye drops several times daily and avoid bending over or lifting heavy weights. “And take it easy for the next week,” said the doctor, which advice I’ve happily followed.
So I and the many other people with July 4 birthdays have a little challenge: We are celebrating independence, while being reminded daily of how many people that promise still eludes, yet also thinking about cake and presents. For the record, the birthday dinner at our house was tacos.
The world in a city
While 250 years of independence from a king is a gift all Americans share, I am grateful for gifts that I enjoy right here in Aurora. There is a local slogan that this is “the world in a city” and I appreciate my immigrant friends and the customs, languages and food we have shared. Some of us have met through Project Worthmore, whose new headquarters building was completed a couple of months ago. It houses English classes and distribution of food, among other services to our new neighbors.
I love our proximity to the mountains, and road trips to hike among them. I’m pleased that my large extended family have settled all over the country, including a few of us in Colorado. Kate, my granddaughter, has just returned from a sojourn in Paris, and will go on to college in Maine. No thanks to AI, but with email and text we can all communicate regardless of distance or hearing difficulties.
This holiday, and all year, thanks are due the health care providers at the VA medical center. I am truly grateful for the staff—many immigrants, many veterans—who have kept me healthy with kindness and dedication over the years. As a bonus, the newly built regional VA hospital is located right here in Aurora.
What others said
Now let’s see how others have expressed their thoughts about this holiday. U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, whose district includes Aurora, had this to say in a statement:
These are tough times. Costs are on the rise, and partisanship is high. But Americans are putting service above self—stepping up in their communities to give back. There’s a New American Patriotism movement in our country that’s rooted in service, humility, and accountability.
Mike Henry, executive director at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver, some of whose classes I’ve enjoyed, described the benefits of writing in a community:
At Lighthouse, I’ve seen 20-somethings bond with 80-somethings over the poems they wrote and how they both embrace a love of gardening; I’ve witnessed people from very different walks of life emotionally bond over their writing about living with cancer; I’ve witnessed individuals come to embrace the commonness of lived experience when often our current culture and politics might want them to look at one another as the enemy, or someone ‘less than.’
My sister Marie, a retired artist (like I’m a retired writer: we never stop), sent a birthday card in the form of a graphic design featuring her dog Max, which appears at the top of this post.
Finally, my friend Barb sent along a photo she took of flowers she bought for the holiday, to admire while staying cool in her living room, below:
