Independence

We get into prickly situations because we’re scared.  We don’t have the confidence to do it on our own.  We don’t know any better or anything different.  Things become routine.  They become monotonous.  They are comfortable.

Until they’re not.

When you’re little and don’t know how to swim, your either always held when you’re in the water, or put in a life jacket.  Either way you’re safe.  As you get bigger, you get a bigger jacket.  Sometimes you trade in the big and safe jacket for floaties.  It’s really the lesser of two evils.  It’s a crutch, a safety net.

Then out of no where, you just decide you’ve had enough.  Maybe you’re life jacket is too small and gives you a rash.  Maybe you’re Mom won’t let you go in the deep end with floaties.  Or maybe there are incentives.  Things like wanting to play with the big kids, or diving. Everyone loves diving.

Whatever the case may be, one day you just announce you are ready to learn how to swim.  You take off your life jacket.  You’re lucky that you have an aunt who loves you.  She’ll jump in the freezing cold water and demonstrate and hold you up.  She’ll encourage you and direct you.

You’re scared.  You don’t have a life jacket or floaties.  You could drown.  But you don’t.  Everytime you think you’re going to there are reassuring hands to lift you up.  You get tired but you don’t give up.  You’re determined.   Little by little you become more confident, more self assure, more proud, and finally more independent.