KUDOS TO NATICK FOR A GREAT PARADE!

"Render therefore to all their dues: ... honour to whom honour." (from Romans 13:7)

Last winter, a sad and disturbing announcement appeared in the MetroWest Daily News. The news was that Natick had absolutely and definitely cancelled their Fourth of July parade for 2013, after a tradition of putting on some outstanding Independence Day parades over more than fifty years. I knew this would be a big disappointment for my daughter Amy who was planning a trip from her home in Missouri for late June and early July along with her husband and little boy. The trip was to attend a wedding in Rhode Island but also to bring little Ben to the Natick Fourth of July parade among other things. No kidding. During the twenty-four years I lived in Framingham, there were very few Natick parades that I missed. We go back to the era when the circus would also be in the area for a couple of performances and would be prominently featured in the parade. Another big attraction of the Natick parade was Rex Trailer, who is a hero to just about any baby boomer who grew up in the Boston area. At first, my kids would get embarrassed at me shouting "Howdy Rex!" as he rode by on his horse Goldrush, but in time they came to also look forward to seeing Rex Trailer. My daughter Rachel actually had it on her bucket list to meet Rex Trailer someday and she was "devastated" (her exact word) when he passed away last winter. In fact, he died right around the time the parade was cancelled, as I recall.

It was with great surprise and delight I received a phone call from my friend Rich Hurst a couple of months ago in which he informed me Natick was going ahead with the parade after all! (Rich is also usually in the parade, either driving or riding in his father's 1939 Ford convertible!) I've had to work at least part of the last few Independence Days so I was very happy to have yesterday off, entirely. I can't put into words how much my family and I enjoyed being at the 2013 Natick Fourth of July parade! Watching 2-year-old Ben's eyes light up at so many things he saw, and just being part of the fun of the day was so gratifying. I know it took a lot of volunteers doing a lot of work and it took a lot of funds to "pull off" this parade which had been "absolutely and definitely cancelled"! A very nice touch was making Rex Trailer "Grand Marshall in Memoriam". The "riderless Goldrush" along with his old sidekick Sgt. Billy at the end of the parade was a nice touch. This may sound strange to some, but we stood out of respect to Rex's memory when that group passed by.

Throughout the years, one of the features of the parade I always enjoyed was some of the drum and bugle corps and some of the "Scottish" or "Irish" bagpipe bands. Those were absent, but it's understandable they probably couldn't get them on short notice. I'd give the parade (compared to all the others) a "B plus"; however, considering it was "rescued" and pretty much put together at the last minute, I do give it a "solid A"!

Thank you, Natick. I also don't want to fail to mention that considering the heartache the Boston area experienced regarding this year's Boston Marathon and its aftermath, we really needed this. From my heart, and I'm sure from a lot of other hearts: it was deeply appreciated! God bless you!