HAPPY INTERDEPENDENCE DAY!

Yes, you read that right – interdependence.
When I was a kid growing up in Wyoming, we were taught to be as self-sufficient and independent as possible.  It was such a rural area of the country and there were not a lot of people, resources or services available.  People were self-taught as a means to survive.  Learning how to be self-sufficient helped me build confidence in my early years.

As I got older, I started to realize it was not practical or possible for me to do everything and that I needed assistance.  My pride often came into play and sometimes it took me twice as long to accomplish something than if I had simply asked for help.  Learning how to “work smarter, not harder” teaches us not only to be more efficient as individuals, but also demonstrates how the insights and expertise of others is necessary.

Often times we do not learn how to ask for help or depend on each other until there is a full blown crisis in our lives.  This is a shame because being truly interdependent in the healthiest of ways means that together we build a caring, thoughtful community.  Friends and neighbors who pay attention to each other in anticipation of need.  Interdependency in the community allows us to be part of each other’s lives in both good times and bad. Moreover, the community we become part of is the community we help build.
As we observe our nation’s independence – let’s also celebrate our ability to be interdependent.