Independence or Interdependence?

Did you ever stop to think about how many people it takes for each of us to be successful?
There is such a big emphasis in our culture on “independence” and doing things “by ourselves”. In fact, the more help that an individual needs with daily tasks, the more “disabled” they are considered. Some scholars and researchers take the perspective that the life of a person who relies on others to meet their needs somehow has less value than us more independent folks. The idea is the extent to which a person is a “burden” on his or her family is directly tied to the value of that life.
So, how independent are YOU?
Do you fix your own car? Grow all your own food? Do you cut your own hair? Do you file your own taxes? Do you diagnose your own illnesses and write your own prescriptions? Do you build your own home?
You need help with ALL these tasks? I certainly do! And guess what, that is called interdependence and it’s a wonderful system that we all need in place throughout our lives.
Some people I know need help changing their clothes, communicating with others and getting from one place to another. Do I consider these friends to be less human than me because they require more help? Absolutely not!
Do these individuals need a large team of supporters to be successful? YES!
The need for a team is the very reason that ConnectAbility exists. It’s our name. We realize that everyone needs lots of supports in their life and we want to be here for families affected by a high level of need.
Sometimes, a very tragic situation in someone’s life can activate an entire team of supporters working together to provide care. And sometimes the team is successful and lives are saved.
Did you realize how seldom some people hear thank you for their supporting role in a life?
Kellie Haddock is one person who wanted to thank the team of people who worked together to save her son’s life.
Check out her heart touching story here:

See how she had to depend on such a huge team of folks when she encountered a huge, unexpected situation? That interdependence is a beautiful thing.
I want to leave you with this thought: no one is truly independent, but relies on others to provide lots of support.
We would love for you to join with ConnectAbility and we work to support families who find themselves in an unexpected place in life. It’s an amazing journey.

And, THANK YOU to everyone who works together to make every life possible!