A Day to Celebrate

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Parades are canceled.  Fireworks are canceled.  Group gatherings are still discouraged.  So how do you celebrate the birth of a nation when all the usual celebratory methods are unavailable?  Good question.  I don't have the answer.

However, conveniently enough, Patrick provided us with an opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July AND his new title, "Airman".  Airman Certificate is what it says on the piece of paper that makes him an official (private) pilot.  It is the first, and arguably most gargantuan, step that takes him from being (just) a freshman in college to being a commercial pilot.

COVID-19 put a sizable pause in his training, but once the most rigid part of quarantine was over, he was able to get back in the sky...when the weather cooperated.  Then it was fly, fly, fly, and study, study, study all through May and June.  When he came home from flying (what we thought was a routine practice flight) we learned that his flight was actually the long-awaited (and stress-inducing) check ride.  The check ride is done with an examiner from the FAA - it's a bid deal and he did it!

Back when Patrick started college and training to be a pilot, I called "dibs" on the first flight with the new pilot.  At Halloween, when the kids would trick-or-treat, I would get a piece (my choice) of candy from their goodie bags; we call it the "Mom Tax".  When we go out for ice cream, I get a bite of theirs...Mom Tax.  The Mom Tax is...a thing.  I've earned it.  I'm just lucky that there's no Dad Tax, and even luckier to have an awesome husband who lets me call dibs. :)
For Christmas a couple of years ago, after we learned that Patrick wanted to become a commercial pilot, we loaded him up with tools, gadgets, and pilot paraphernalia.  In my searching for all things "pilot", I stumbled upon pilot crackers.  Pilot Crackers are an emergency food supply item.  The can is sealed so that the crackers stay fresh until they're needed.  Patrick decided to save his crackers until he was an actual pilot.  You know, some people open a special bottle of wine to celebrate a milestone...Patrick does crackers. :)

Congratulations, Patrick!  Thank you for giving us something else to celebrate on this most unusual Independence Day.

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