The Strength of Interdependence

""I'm not going to make it without help."

The thought crossed my mind. I had used my strongest strokes to reach land, but against the unusually powerful undertow of the ocean, my strength was gone. Instead of feeling land under my feet, I was being pulled into deeper waters.

Quietly I said to Kati, "I need to be on land and I can't do it."

From the way her happy face darkened to concern, I knew she saw that without help I would drown.

Having not the physical force to keep myself afloat in the cresting waves, I was on the verge of letting go of all effort and accepting that I might be swallowed by the ocean.

Kati could not pull me to land by herself. She kept me afloat and called out for help.

A vital young Hawaiian man swam out with a boogie board and calmly talked with us, then towed us both ashore.

Kati and I rested on a rock for some time, in shock. My breathes came in rasping gasps from the onset of my body's panic.

The next day Kati and I gathered our spark again and drove from remote Kipahulu, Maui to the upcountry to meet the friend of a friend. On the return, in the middle of a long stretch of narrow road winding through the rainforest, our pickup died. There was no cell signal. I accepted a ride from caring passersby into Hana town while Kati stayed with the Ranger. I arranged a tow truck and a few hours later we were back at Laulima Farm, where we're doing work exchange.

These two intensive experiences on our four days off left an indelible impression. They reminded me profoundly of the inter-connections and inter-dependencies of existence. Being self-contained and independent may be a mark of personal maturity and integrity, yet bowing the ego to humbly accept help and knowing that the giver and receiver are the same in underlying oneness, is also a strength.

"Interdependence is mutual dependence between things. If you study biology, you’ll discover that there is a great deal of interdependence between plants and animals.
Inter- means "between," so interdependence is dependence between things. We often use interdependence to describe complex systems. Marriage creates a state of interdependence between spouses. If your dog provides you with love and happiness, and you provide your dog with food and walks (and love and happiness), then your relationship with your dog is one of interdependence."
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- from the dictionary site of Vocabulary.com.