Independence, Dependence, and Interdependence

It’s currently June but I’m looking ahead to July. July is a time that brings to mind Independence, dependence, and interdependence for me. The reason I think about those things at this time of year is because the 4th of July Is a big holiday for me. This holiday celebrates our independence from England and the founding of our country. For me, July is a great time to think about the accomplishments of the United States of America.

It’s also a great time for me to think of my achievements. Some of my past achievements include graduating from high school, learning to drive, graduating from college, securing my first few jobs, and living on my own in an apartment. All of these achievements give me more freedom and increase my Independence from others.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve that completely by myself. I had lots of help from my friends and family to make all of these achievements possible. Being able to help and be helped Is part of the concept of interdependence. Going back to the United States of America‘s history, I seem to remember that we had help from France and the French people in our struggle for Independence from England. Currently we as a country are involved in many endeavors that will require the cooperation of many countries to achieve joint goals. Being able to rely on others and have others rely on us is an important part of either being a thriving country or a successful individual.

Today, I currently feel more dependent than I’ve ever felt since leaving my teenage and young adult years behind. I’m still really struggling with being dizzy and my memory is a little bit spottier than it has been in the past. Also, the air conditioning in my building has not been working so I packed up my bags and stayed with family for a while. My family was able to help me with some of my short-term issues that I’ve been experiencing.

As a result, I needed to acknowledge that I couldn’t do everything on my own. This acknowledgment was hard to do. Needing to ask for permission for things that I would never ask anybody else about if I was living at home was humbling. Knowing that it’s my family members’ house, no matter how welcoming a place it is, it is not my home. I love my family dearly and I am honored that I was welcomed and accepted into my sibling’s home. They trusted me with their children, pets, and belongings. That being said, not being at home in my apartment with my cat and not being able to drive was really frustrating.

I’m hoping to be able to transition soon to living at home in my apartment with my cat. I’m a little nervous about transitioning from being dependent right now to becoming more and more independent again. I have a few people who will be checking on me during the next month. I’m hoping to go back to my old level of Independence in July. So, as you can see, in less than a year, I have experienced dependence, independence, and interdependence. I hope that I can keep my humility and life lessons that I’ve learned regarding these concepts.

Hoping you have a wonderful summer and a great July. As always, I hope my readers are doing well. Remember that no matter where you are with trying to obtain goals in your life, accepting assistance as you work towards more independence is okay as you go through your journey.