
To Independence
This week, America celebrates the anniversary of declaring independence from England, but what does independence mean? At its simplest, it means freedom from control or support by someone or something else. When children grow up, they become independent from their parents — although it frequently takes longer to give up that support from their parents’ wallets! And that growing-up process involves lots of little independences: learning to ride a bicycle without training wheels or assistance, going to school alone, deciding on your own outfits, people to date, college to go to, etc…. Growing up is all about achieving that independence.