Last week, my friend Carrie Newcomer and I were talking about July 4th, Independence Day. Independence is a treasure, of course—but it’s only one pole of a paradox that makes for a good society.
The other pole is interdependence, a word to name the fact that we’re all in this together and need each other. So, we propose designating July 5th as “Interdependence Day."
On this day, we highlight our connections to one another, we celebrate the interdependence of nature and the human community, and we remember the abundance we can generate when we come together to care for each other and Mother Earth.
We thought up some things we could do on Interdependence Day, such as flying flags with all the colors of the rainbow behind an image of this beautiful blue boat we call earth. We could plant trees and remind folks to repair, reuse, and recycle. We could drop in on people who rarely get visitors, have a get-acquainted talk, and invite them to a meal.
Carrie suggested that instead of picnics with hot dogs and hamburgers we grill up some tofu pups, and buy everything from the local farmer's market. I like the idea of locally-sourced food, but the tofu must be optional!
And instead of fireworks, how about sitting on the steps or the porch, or in the yard or the park, telling stories and singing songs, watching the moon rise and taking time to appreciate life together?
Happy Interdependence Day, everyone! If your July 5th is already filled with work and family obligations, consider Interdependence Day a moveable feast that we can and should celebrate 365 days a year!
--Parker Palmer, Facebook, July 5, 2019
Image source: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2023/09/05/protect-porch
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