Independence Day

Some people love Christmas. Others go ga-ga over Thanksgiving. Halloween does it for still others. But for me, without a doubt, the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday.

I like St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, and Labor Day is right around my birthday, but nothing compares to the Fourth.

There are many reasons why I enjoy it, and the reasons have changed and evolved as I have gotten older.

First off, it is the signal of summer. People running around outside, kids playing baseball at the neighborhood park, grills firing up some burgers and dogs, shorts and flip-flops on everyone, taking a dip in the pool, sipping lemonade under a shady tree, chomping on watermelon on a park bench...it just screams SUMMER! And I absolutely love summer!

I also enjoy all things Patriotic. Give me a John Philip Sousa march, and I am a happy camper Red, white and blue is always a great color combination. And American history was one of my best subjects.

But Independence Day took on a whole new meaning for me 11 years ago. On May 1, 2000 I went to the doctor because of severe back pain. The doctor took an x-ray and right away noticed I had a tumor in my chest and my lymph nodes were swollen and pressing on my spinal cord, causing the back pain. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy treatments. Each treatment was progressively harder than the last. And I really started to hate being in a hospital. I was able to get out of the hospital in time to spend July 4 at home with my family. A true Independence Day for me.

There was a strong possibility I was not going to be able to have kids because of the cancer. There was a way for me to save sperm at a sperm bank, but it cost a couple thousand dollars. I don't know too many 24-year-olds who have a couple extra thousand dollars handy. (Come to think of it, I don't know too many 35-year-olds who have a couple thousand dollars handy, either!) That's one of the reasons my daughter is so extremely precious to me...I truly did not know if I would be able to have a child of my own.

The Fourth of July reminds people of the liberties and freedoms enjoyed in this great country, as it should. But for me, I also am reminded of the greatest gift of all...my daughter.