Chinese L Lanterns

I am vacationing at Cape Cod Bay in East Sandwich with my family. Chaos reigns. Thirty people at various times. Eating unusual foods is the common practice, although today we will enjoy the traditional surf- n – turf with lobster as the surf. Tomorrow is our July Thanksgiving turkey dinner cooked to order at Marshland’s on Rte 6A. Breakfasts are prepared by our several home grown short order cooks; some have great imaginations. Ice cream is the favorite dessert, although it is served in various forms. Also, every new drink discovered in 2019 has been sampled. Only a couple will ever be repeated in this house.

Last night we all witnessed twenty-five Chinese Lanterns float across the sky over the Bay. Each one timed to allow your eye to follow it into obscurity before the next one met the right eye setting it on the watch  into obscurity.

We all wondered, are our souls like those lanterns? Have we been set off just like that by the great Designer? We agreed, NO. The lanterns flew across, perfectly. Our lives would leave an up and down path in the sky if we were to plot it. The joy of this tale is that thirty people stopped what they were doing in the midst of celebration to reflect on our paths in life. Discussions prevailed. They inspired us all.

Today is the 4th of July. Tonight we will have a fire on the beach in front of the house. There will be fireworks ignited all around us. It is a wondrous way to celebrate our country’s birthday. Think about it. We know our country’s birthday. Be proud of our country; it is the most superb example of freedom that has allowed us to live in liberty and the pursuit of justice.  Happy 4th.

K. B. Pellegrino, Author