Independence Day

Happy 4th of July, friends! I hope that you have a safe and happy day!!!

Today, when I was reading about July 4th, I was struck by how many times the words “independent” and “independence” came up. After all, it is 244 years ago that our forefathers claimed today as “Independence Day” for our country. This prompted me to look up the definition of “independent.” This is the first definition that popped up on Google:

“Being independent means being able to take care of your own needs and to make and assume responsibility for your decisions while considering both the people around you and your environment.”

I like this definition of independence. Sometimes I think that we want our independence, but without personal responsibility. Sometimes I think that we want our independence, forgetting to be considerate to the fact, that our actions do affect others and our Earth. Sometimes I think we confuse selfishness with independence. They are too entirely different things. Independence is a virtue. Selfishness is not. Today we celebrate the independence of our great country. Today marks the day that the United States of America declared its ability to take care of its own needs, and to assume responsibility for the decisions of our country, with consideration for other people, other countries, and our Earth. In some ways, the United States has done an excellent job with our independence. In other ways, we have some work to do.

Our countries, our states, our institutions, our communities, our families, are all made up of people. Today, when we consider our own individual independence, we can consider how well we are living up to that honorable definition of independence, in our own individual lives. As we celebrate our “independence”, we can use the celebration as a time to reflect on how “independent” (in the virtuous sense of the word), we really are, in our own lives. Do we rely on others for our physical needs and emotional needs, without taking any personal responsibility for those needs? Are we healthfully interdependent with others, or are we woefully stuck in a codependent cycle with those we love? Do we make our own decisions, and do we take responsibility for the consequences of those decisions, or are we quick to blame others, and to take the victim stance, when things go wrong? Do we make decisions for ourselves with the mindfulness of how those decisions will affect ourselves, others, and our beautiful planet, or do we just act on impulse and let the pieces fall as they may?

We declared quite a responsibility, as a country, those 244 years ago. I think that the founders of our country, understood the weight of that responsibility, but firmly believed that we were better off with our freedom. Our founders believed that we were up to the challenge of co-creating the greatest country that has ever existed. Our forefathers made the decision to declare independence for the United States, thoughtfully, carefully, and with a full understanding of what the consequences of declaring our independence would bring for us, then and for the ongoing future.

We tend to celebrate July 4th with fireworks, and barbecues, and parades and parties, without really giving much thought to what the day really means to us. Perhaps this virus catastrophe, can be used in a good way, to give us more space and more down time to really reflect on how well we are living up to our own “declarations of independence”, in our own lives, and as citizens who make up our country. Claiming independence is commanding, freeing, exciting, exhilarating, creative and allows us to fulfill our fullest purposes and destinies. But claiming independence goes hand in hand with enormous responsibilities, vision, sacrifice, empathy and consideration for others, and the need to protect the boundaries of our own autonomy and independence. Claiming independence is a brave and heady endeavor and it must often be reclaimed and revisited, again and again. We can thank our forebears for the start of it all, but it is our responsibility to keep the good vision of it all, alive and well and prospering.