Image via Wikipedia
In what may have been the most meaningful July 4th ever, we took the 3 kids on an 11 hour excursion to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson, as you know, drafted the Declaration of Independence, so that would have been significant enough. However, he also died on July 4th, 1826, so we were visiting his home on the 185th anniversary of his death.
Our kids are fascinated by many things Presidential and have, fortunately, developed an appreciated for history.
The highlight of the day, however, came as we were departing the Visitors Center, about to embark upon our 3.5 hour return journey and after close to 4 hours at the site.
Tonka turned to me and said:
“This was great. I’m really glad we came here.”
All of them were super travellers (thank God for the iPad on the road!) and a number of people on our tour of the mansion came up to me (they were the only kids in our group) to remark about not only how well behaved they were (including Nadia), but how interested they were in the guide’s presentation.
Admittedly, the guide did a great job, but it was just quite special to watch as they absorbed the information, took interest in Jefferson’s passions for reading, technology (this worked for me!), science, and, well, everything, and they LOVED the bit of trivia that it was Jefferson who brought both macaroni and cheese as well as vanilla ice cream to the US after his ministerial post in France.
They understood the potential of using this information to persuade the NFO to serve ice cream in the future!
The movie at the Visitors Center talked about slavery, Sally Hemings, etc. and the two older ones latched onto this topic, asking some great questions.
I just loved how they explored the grounds, seeking to understand why the wine/
A long, HOT and HUMID day, but a great one.
As we were departing, we saw seats being set up behind the main building and I assumed it would be for a mini fireworks show or something to that effect.
Turns out I was mistaken (not the first time) and it was to be the swearing in ceremony for 77 new Americans, which got me a bit choked up.
As we finished, the guide read a great quote written by Jefferson only a few days before his death, about July 4th:
“For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”
I know it did for me, reconnecting me (and hopefully connecting my kids) to the eternal and beautiful ideals of what it means to be American and what America means to so many people.
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