By SINEAD BRINK

With the Fourth of July at hand, many people are reuniting with their families and preparing for all the fun and games involved with the weekend.

With all of these trends and traditions taking place, many Americans lose focus on what the Fourth of July is really about.

The Fourth of July gives people a reason to come together and show their patriotic side.

Our independence from Britain didn't come without a fight, but now people just look at it as a time to bring out the grill, go for a dip in the pool with family and go drinking with friends. Take away the fireworks and all you have is a normal day.

Every year I see that the true meaning of freedom is being sucked right out of the Fourth.

The day that we gained our independence from Britain -- July 4, 1776 -- was a huge landmark in U.S. history. With millions of young men and women in the military, away from their families, let us not forget what they are fighting for. A war is not useless or pointless if we still have men and women fighting for us.

When you go out and party and drink, don't drive. With people fighting to keep us safe, we don't need a threat on the roads. Fourth of July weekend is one of the deadliest weekends of the year. Shouldn't we be doing our part to keep us safe, when thousands of people are doing their job to keep us safe?

When you go out to watch the annual fireworks, remember the "Star Spangled Banner" and remember the night we received our priceless freedom.

When you are lighting up your grill this weekend, light a candle for hope. When your family visits you and you see faces you haven't seen in ages, go by the Veterans Home and visit our retired military men and women who haven't seen a friendly face in ages.