SCS: What does independence mean to me?

Since this Independence Day holiday also falls on a Self-Care Sunday (SCS), it got me thinking about what independence means to me in my day to day living. I’ve done enough traveling to some very oppressed places to find that independence is so easy to take for granted. Too many people are struggling just to get through survive each day, and witnessing this first hand has taught me not to take my blessings for granted. So in the spirit of being thankful, here’s my list of what I truly value with my independence.

Choices: To be in a position where I can choose my new career path is a wonderful blessing. Too many people would love to be declared independent from the work they have to do to pay the bills. Too often choices become about what we ‘have to do’ instead of what we ‘want to do.’ To be independent enough to get to choose our path is the ultimate form of freedom.

Safety: As a woman, this is always on my mind. One of my favorite things to do is walk for exercise and to just enjoy being outdoors. I haven’t always lived in places where I felt safe to do this simple task. So to be walking independently without (too much) fear is something I don’t take for granted.

Live as our true selves: There is still too much racism, homophobia, and people just being jerks to allow some people the freedom to be themselves. It’s in our DNA as people to want to be accepted, and to be fearful of others who are different. My grand, idealistic hope is that one day people can become independent from the fear that’s keeping them from loving other people the way the are without judgement. It’s time to just let people live.

There may be other things I could list, but those are definitely my top three. Thank you for reading this post and have a beautiful day!