Today we celebrate the declaration of independence of the 13 colonies from Great Britain in 1776. I remember with pleasure the Fourth of July celebrations when I was a little girl. We looked forward to it for weeks. It was the one time in the year that we were allowed to do what we considered dangerous stuff.

Mom actually allowed my sisters and I to light fire crackers. Our older brother Herb was the only one who could light the big ones that made a really loud bang, but we were only allowed "lady fingers" because they were very small and their explosion wouldn't hurt anyone. You might get an occasional burnt finger from holding the firecracker too long, but nothing lasting.

Our mother was always anxious if she thought we were doing something that might cause an accident, but Daddy persuaded her that the little lady finger firecrackers couldn't possibly pose much danger, and they did make an adequate little bang when they went off.

More Nina:State of the world

Freedom, fireworks and fun:Your guide to Lake County's Fourth of July celebrations

Fireworks in Florida:Fireworks are legal in Florida on 3 major holidays, including the 4th. Here’s what to know

More Nina:State of the world

We would light one and run around a corner of the house and hold our ears. The firecrackers Herb was allowed to light were much larger and louder.

Jean and I were also allowed to have caps for our little silver metal cap pistols. They came in rolls, and if you had a more sophisticated toy gun you could put the whole roll in at a time and keep shooting until you used them all up. We tried to make our fireworks last all day.

In the evening we could watch the fireworks displays from our front porch. The town of Vandergrift was on a hill across the river and their displays were very exciting. There were usually some neighbors joining us since our big front porch was a great place for viewing.

We always had a box of sparklers each. If you don't know by experience, sparklers are metal sticks with a combustible powder stuck to them, and when you light them they burn with little sparks. It is very satisfying to hold them out and spin them. We thought we were so daring. Do children still play with those on the Fourth of July?

As we grew older, a Fourth of July family picnic was the order of the day but our family income did not include guests. The Depression was always with us and affected everything we planned, including fireworks. Daddy always did the best he could to keep us from being disappointed. We in turn enjoyed to the fullest any effort on his part.

A few years ago I attended a Fourth of July picnic with my daughter and her family. It was hosted by one of their friends from their church and was at their home on a small lake. After the picnic, as soon as it was dark, the host brought out a large basket of fireworks for his guest entertainment.

The teenagers attending had a great time setting them off for us as we older folks sat on the covered porch and watched. It was a great display and went on and on. He had spent hundreds of dollars to make sure no one was disappointed.

I enjoyed the beautiful colors that lit up the sky but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't help but think about how Daddy skimped and saved to see that we had our few fireworks that we made last all day.

Frank Jolley retiring:It's tough, but it's time to say goodbye to the Daily Commercial

Twisted Biscuit Diner in Tavares:Dishing up 'Southern cuisine with a twist'

I am sure that the inflation will temper many of our holidays this year. Many of us will be glad to stay home and enjoy what fireworks we can see from our own front porch.

The Fourth of July commemorates one of our oldest and most important holidays and we should remember it did not come easy for the settlers to declare their independence. We should be proud of our independence and the country our forefathers designed for us that is now the envy of many people all around the world.

Take note of the folks who are trying to hard to come here through our southern border. Many of them even risking their lives. Thank God that you live in a country that enjoys and celebrates its freedom and independence.

Nina Gilfert can be reached at ngporch@gmail.com