Independence

Let's think about the reality of Independence in my life for a moment (this is my thinking face...):

I can do pretty much anything I want to, whenever I want to.  On the Independence Scale, my life hits near the top.

Don't think I haven't noticed, or that I am not grateful.

The interesting thing about Independence, however, is that it's a bit of a misnomer.  Even with utmost freedom, there are limitations.  In fact, the independence to make one choice means that other choices have been limited.  And those limitations are un-movable.

For instance, due to the independence we have to engage in luxurious summer travel, the Summer of Heather and Lauren has taken a serious hit.  Apart for over 3 weeks, with spotty phone communication to boot, SOHL has suffered.  A limitation. Until yesterday, when SOHL re-convened in full force.

First, there was the pool. A hot 4th of July day calls for lots of swimming, as does the rulebook of SOHL.

Even in independence, there is always a rulebook.  Otherwise, there would just be chaos.

(There is never any chaos in SOHL...)

When we had had our fill of water and sun, we returned home for Operation BBQ.

Sadly, no pictures captured this event, but I'm thinking that your own Independence has allowed you to experience one or two of these in your lifetime, so use your imagination. Picture a converging of many good friends, watermelon, and lots of  grilled meat.  That's about all you need for a good time.

The good times were rolling right along until it was suddenly time to depart, in order to get prime seating for the fireworks!!!

You cannot celebrate independence without fireworks.  

Or popsicles. 

Popsicles are important, because here's another limitation to independence--since you have the opportunity to be master of your own time, sometimes you find yourself killing it.     

So it's a good thing that time can be killed with a variety of amusing things--taking silly pictures of each other

(and yourself...),

talking, laughing, solving the problems of the world,

reminding each other of what's important...

and sparklers.  Of course.  

And then, before you know it, there are fireworks.  Just booming away at you.  Causing you to feel like there are some things that really have no explanation for being necessary, other than that they bring you together with the people you love.  

Because here's the really tricky thing about Independence:

It is limited by absolute dependence on those people you love,

and that's the most freeing thing of all.