We say we want to be strong.
And by strong, we usually mean strong alone.
We can also be strong together.
And by being strong together,
I don’t mean helping others become strong alone.
Nor do I mean getting help so we can become strong alone.
I mean being strong by virtue of being together.
To be strong together is to be dependent, even for a moment.
Dependent is a dirty word with which nobody wants to be associated .
Yet, there are things we must depend on others to achieve.
Survival is one such thing.
Few things are more rewarding than knowing that we are needed.
Few things are more deadly than thinking we are not.
Thank you for sharing — this post is both insightful and well-articulated. Too often, it seems, people praise independence even at the expense of healing and beneficial connection with other people, and demonize necessary interdependence as codependence or downright dependence. In an ever-shifting public discussion with conversational boundaries made unclear by the nature of the internet, it’s essential to look at how we’re defining things and attempt to understand how that’s going to play out in our lives. Thanks again for a poignant and powerful post.
Thank you for articulating so clearly both what you see and wish to see in the world.
I also hope we do not needlessly demonize ideas such as dependence. There are those of us in situations where we have to be dependent (perhaps temporarily) due to severe physical or psychological conditions.
Thank you for pointing this out — I apologize for the error in articulation in my comment. I would never intentionally insinuate that dependence is something that ought to be maligned, as we’re all dependent at points in our lives and should extend help and compassion to each other in all circumstances. I’ve had personal experiences across the spectrum of dependency and should have known better than to speak hastily and without reviewing my comment to make sure I didn’t imply anything unintended and untrue. I’m sorry to have thoughtlessly phrased this comment in a potentially hurtful way, and I appreciate your pointing out how it would likely be interpreted that way — I haven’t yet figured out how to edit or remove my previous comment, but will keep looking. Thank you again for your patient reply.