Before you celebrate . . .

All that sunshine and blue sky can be deceptive. A picnic-ruining thunderstorm could be only an hour away.

One of the most festive events of the year, celebration of our nation's independence, harbors potential fugitives in the form of accidents. Danger lurks everywhere: Swimmers packing the beaches and kids playing with fireworks, drivers out late after drinking too much, even the guy next door setting match to charcoal for a barbecue - they could all be grinning without having the foggiest notion that they're about to breathe their last.

We apologize for introducing such morbid thoughts on this Fourth of July morning, but we have our reasons. It is not merely to warn of what could be ahead, but to value what you have now.

A fine local family recently lost their son in an accidental shooting. The young man had been well-trained in handling firearms, so please, stow the lectures on the dangers of guns. They knew; he did, too. But he made a mistake that cost him his life.

The emotional roller coaster that has taken a great many members of the community with it since the accidental shooting and Saturday's services might start to level out now, and for the family's sake, we hope that's the case. But before we leave this sad chapter, we want to share a request from the boy's parents.

In an email they sent to fellow employees, they concluded with this sentence:

"Please hug your kids and grandkids the next time you see them and tell them you love them."

On this day and every other, there could be no better advice.