Have you ever seen a bee collect pollen? It is a seemingly haphazard act that does not last for more than a few seconds or minutes. At the end of the activity, the bee buzzes off to occupy another flower, and neither the bee nor the flower seem particularly affected by the whole act. However, closer examina-tion will reveal that the entire process is actually a carefully designed mutualistic relationship. While the bee acquires food from the flower, the flower receives assistance in pollination. Even though a plant and a bee are vastly different organisms with different needs, they are, in this case, quite dependent on each other.
Dependency is not only limited to bees and flowers. It is, in fact, one of the most important aspects of being human. We are dependent on others even at our very conception – a human life cannot begin without other human beings.
A child raised in an environment without any humans will not have the ability to behave the way a human being should behave. Even healthy adults who are isolated for long periods of time may succumb to the effects of anxiety or depression, as was observed during the pandemic.
Despite these facts, the nature of growth is such that ultimately, it leads the undergoer to a state of reduced depen-dency. A newborn calf will gradually learn how to stand on its own feet. A growing child will slowly be able to engage in tasks and chores without needing his parents’ help. A young adult will eventually find her own job and build her own home.
Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of growth is the process of finding a balance between embracing your independence and still valuing the importance of the connections that you share with those around you. When faced with the refreshing freedom of indepen-dence, many young people are quick to relish their liberty without spending some time to build relationships along the way. Not every connection we make needs to be a deep friendship. However, a simple exchange of kindness will never fail to be of importance.
The world’s history has tinted the idea of dependency with hues of negativity and darkness. We have falsely learned that dependency is the same as being trapped, both in the personal and collective sense. However, being depen-dent on one another can result in a web of beautiful connections. It means that we have the ability and the generosity to share our skills and discuss our thoughts. When we begin to create a world where every person understands and embraces the importance of our dependency on each other, we will also create an environment where every person is valued and respected.
Giant castles and sprawling cities are created as a result of the simple strength that connects one stone to another. The fact that each stone depends on another for its stability does not take away from the combined greatness that they produce in the form of the structures that they create.
Human beings are unique. However, we become stronger and more capable when we accept the joy of being interdependent.
