Independence

Seen in my newsfeed today:  Happy Scare-the-Crap-out-of-Your-Dog Day!  As with so many holidays, the original reason for celebration often gets lost or vaguely remembered.  Yes, we wave our flags today, but the focus seems to be on weather forecasts, fatty foods, and explosive noises.  I no longer have a dog, but I can remember that, for so many years, I was just grateful when this Fourth of July holiday was over.

So, taking a broader look at the idea of independence, I will follow up on yesterday's adventure and blog post.  As you may recall, the severe thunderstorms were wreaking havoc on the last leg of my daughter's flights home from Australia and my need to make the drive to Newark Liberty International Airport to pick her up.  The storms were horrific, and I have a downed tree in my front yard as testimony.  Three people were struck by lightening in a nearby town, there were reports of tornadoes in neighboring Pennsylvania, and there was a hailstorm right here on my street.  And I was supposed to drive over an hour in this craziness to Newark?  My anxiety was equal to that of my late dog's on a Fourth of July night.

I was a slave to my computer (except when the power went out), checking multiple sites for flight statuses and weather reports.  I determined that there was no point heading to the airport until I was certain that Jenna's plane had indeed left the ground.  As her flight was three hours and my drive less than an hour and a half (in light traffic), this made good sense.  Finally, her plane took off four hours late with an ETA of 1:00 a.m.  Anticipating downed trees and flooded roads, I left here at 10:30, giving myself plenty of time to get to baggage claim to claim my returning daughter (and her four heavy pieces of luggage).

The drive down was uneventful.  Yes, the roads were wet, and there were some fallen branches on the county roads, but the traffic was light and I got there with plenty of time to spare.  With a novel in my purse, I was happy to sit by Carousel 8 at Terminal A and wait.

And there she was!  I had not seen her since I visited her Down Under six months ago.  Oh, to look that good after 40 hours en route!  We wasted no time in collecting her luggage and heading home.  Again, the drive was uneventful.

So where does independence come in?  I didn't have to hire a car service to retrieve my girl.  I didn't have to risk rejection by asking friends to go with me.  I didn't have to depend on anyone but myself to bring my daughter home safe and sound.  And I did.

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.  I don't know about that.  I had something to lose.  But instead of losing life or limb driving in a hurricane, I gained confidence in my ability to still get the job done . . . all by myself.  And I love my independence.