OK, OK–I’ve probably already used up my yearly allotment of bad puns and made-up words, but I couldn’t help myself today.

Just a short post to note that on a day celebrating “independence,” it’s worth taking a moment to acknowledge the importance of interdependence.

It’s a seductive fantasy to think of my life and my actions as “entirely my own.” But of course, that’s hardly the case. I am a tangle of influences and experiences–and each time I act in the world or interact with others, I am gaining new influences and influencing others.

I can see it sometimes in the little interactions–like this morning at a restaurant, where the waitress commented on how much our kids have grown. And I see it in the big things as well–like the fact that we have brought three children into the world, and in doing so, transformed ourselves entirely.

Maybe I’m thinking about all of this interdependence and interconnection because I’m so close to leaving Atlanta and leaving behind so many friends and acquaintances. It’s important to remember and acknowledge the impact those people have had on me–helping shape me, in small or large ways, into who I am today. It’s a fine line, I suppose: finding a way to honor that interdependence without grasping at it too tightly….

Uh oh. I’m sure I’m on the verge of writing something overly sentimental. Maybe I better stop right here and just say:

Thanks.