As a country, as a people, we just celebrated our annual Independence Day. It is a special day for all of us celebrating the foundation of the United States of America as the first of the world’s true democracies. We have evolved since 1776 into one of the most diverse, creative, vibrant cultures in the known universe.
It is a special day for me as well, as it is our wedding anniversary. Did you notice the fireworks?
Independence Day helps me to remember that none of us is truly independent. While the traditional American prototype is that of the rugged individualist, industrialist, inventor, entrepreneur or cowboy, none of us is truly independent.
Like in a marriage, we are interdependent with those around us. In the complex ecology of our world, we find that everything is somehow connected with everything else. Minor changes have a way of cascading into multiple unexpected consequences.
Given the rancor of our political space right now, it is clear that some of us have forgotten how we all need to be aware of the connections we have with each other. Ignoring those connections is at our peril.
And if there is a risk with too much independence, much worse is codependence. This term is frequently applied to those in dysfunctional family relationships or addictions. It can be applied more broadly. Codependency is also a reflexive tendency to see ourselves as separate and incontrovertibly different from those with other beliefs, colors, cultures. It is a madness based on our codependency with like-minded fools who claim with us to have the ultimate truth. In either politics or religion, this is a path to unhealthy relationships, nonproductive dialogues and damage to the fabric of our lives and world.
What every doctor or other helping professional person discovers early and often is how critical family and social networks are to health and vitality. Being isolated is a higher risk factor for death than smoking. Those who have a strong family and social support systems are more physically resilient and when they fall ill, are more likely to recover.
The complex ecology within and outside of us is a web of life. Remembering a biblical verse that attested to the importance of every part of the body is helpful here. One part of the body doesn’t say that it is more important than another part. Just think if you have a painful toe, how the brain must pay attention. Our lowly gut bacteria are more essential to our health than we ever realized.
My message for our health and happiness on this post Independence Day is to reach within and find our soul connection with all others in our world. Focus on our oneness, not our differences. To bring health, peace, prosperity and harmony into our world starts with acknowledgment of our interdependence.
The very survival of the human species is dependent on our recognition of our intimate relationship with nature, with all people and all faiths, with our families and communities. Whatever we can do to foster our interdependence on each other can help us all to grow to our fullest potential, health and wellness.
Dr. Victor S. Sierpina is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Family Professor of Integrative Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB.