Our lives are woven together. As much as I enjoy my own
21
, I no longer imagine I can get through a single day completely
22
my own. Even if I am on
23
in the mountains, I am eating food someone else has grown, living in a house someone else has built, using electricity someone else is
24
to my house. Evidence of
25
is everywhere.
As I was growing up, I remember
26
carefully taught that independence not interdependence was
27
. When I was face-to-face with
28
of some action, my mother"s favorite remark was "
29
you"ve made your bed, lie on it."
Total independence is a dominant thing in our culture. I imagine
30
my parents were trying to teach me was to take responsibilities
31
my actions and my choices. And I grew up
32
that I was supposed to be totally independent and consequently became very
33
to ask for help. I would do almost anything not to be a
34
, and not require any help from anybody.
When I became ill my illusions of total independence
35
in an instant. All of a
36
I had to face the fact that I could do nothing, not even sit up,
37
someone else"s intervention.
I began to realize that not asking for help is, in fact,
38
. I love to help people. If I don"t let them help me back, I am not allowing them the
39
satisfaction I enjoy. Learning this lesson has allowed me once and for all to see that my life really is a part of a larger
40
.