🇺🇸 🎆 Today Ryan and I got ice cream at Greco's and walked around Lititz Springs Park, where normally people would have come from miles around for the long-running Fourth of July celebration, which was canceled this year due to Covid. As we walked past the bandstand, we saw that the traditional Queen of Candles ceremony was taking place, greatly subdued, with only the families of the participating high school girls allowed in the audience, wearing masks. As I saw the girls standing on stage in their gowns, each with a candle glowing in her hands, I suddenly started to cry. I wondered why I was so emotional; at first, I couldn't understand my reaction. It was a swirl of feelings. I felt the positive feelings of nostalgia - memories of all the years our family joined the crowds in celebration, since the time my children were very young. I felt the pain of loss - the closing up of our country, our world, our celebrations, our connections, because of a terrible pandemic that has cost many lives and livelihoods. I felt the pangs of grief - my family's personal losses of a broken home and the passing of our beloved Caety, who loved the Fourth of July with its music, dancing, food, fun, crowds, community, and fireworks. I choked back my tears and ate my ice cream (cherry cheesecake!). As we headed back toward Ryan's car parked at Greco's, the Queen of Candles and her court walked past the pond, with their small crowd of families following. I quickly took a picture to capture this moment of loss and grief mingled with nostalgia and celebration. 💕💙💕 #lititzpa #grecosicecream #nostalgia #queenofcandles #4thofjuly2020 #covid19 #grief #loss #family #celebration (at Lititz Springs Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCPNaE7J8Dp2katNtTuMwaCEkJe5lOWUP61hJM0/?igshid=qv0box8h2c4r