When Independence Makes Us Seek Community
Image via CNN
I had planned to write about independence today, but find myself in need of community.
On the Monday following July 4th, my intent was to talk about life, liberty and self-evident truths. Inalienable rights and the pursuit of safety and happiness. But instead, I can think only of interdependence.
Because as the July 4th holiday dawned in Texas and the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes amid rain and wind, hundreds of girls at Camp Mystic clung to each other in bunks 500 feet from the riverbank. According to the BBC more than 90 people have been confirmed dead, including 27 girls and counselors as of this writing.
We need each other at moments like this.
We need each other as we watch parents stand hand in hand awaiting updates and news anchors swallow hard. We need each other as former campers grieve across social media and girls they've never met send DMs in solidarity. We need each other because we are not built to weather unthinkable events alone.
How do we talk to the younger set about this? With honesty and compassion. First-hand accounts of those who were evacuated are devastating, so be there with empathy when questions arise.
What can we do for affected families as search efforts continue? Ways to send in-kind and financial donations are being set up here and here, and medical equipment can be arranged here. To share information about reunification sites, local shelters and blood drives, head here - and see more in the Êxtras section below.
Independence is often forged by shared experience, newfound goals and the support of strangers. Just imagine asking those who wrote about it in 1776.
But sometimes what we need is the stronger bond of interdependence to guide us through tragedy and bring us comfort in the dark hours.
May we be that comfort for each other as updates continue.
Looking forward in community,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three more ways to help those affected by the Guadalupe River floods you won't want to miss: the Texas Division of Emergency Management x Salvation Army's Kerrville Social Services (follow what they need each day here), the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund here, and the Texas Search & Rescue mission here.
