We wish you a safe, joyful, and festive Fourth of July.

The word independence is a funny one, isn’t it?

Its meaning changes as we grow and as life changes around us. Over the last fourteen years, I’ve watched my Phews become more independent—venturing farther from home, trying new things, and seeing the world through their own eyes. Their independence is exciting, and every day they stretch its boundaries just a little farther.

This past week, independence looked very different.

It looked like coming home.

It looked like sleeping in your own bed, hearing the sounds of your own house instead of the constant buzz of monitors, nurses, and doctors coming and going. It looked like reclaiming a little piece of normal after weeks of uncertainty.

Sometimes independence isn’t about doing more. Sometimes it’s about simply being where your heart wants to be.

Cynde is finally home, carrying a blue backpack that delivers eighteen hours of nutrition each day through her central line. Funny how backpacks are with us through so many seasons of life and through independence. Backpacks take us to school, on adventures around the world, and, in this case, they brought her home.

Of course, no blue backpack of such importance could remain unnamed for long. The Phews and their cousins immediately got to work. Current favorites include:

• Violet Beauregard
• Smurfette
• Bluey McBlueface
• R2-Blue
• Marvin
• Mr. Drippy
• Percy the Pump

The debate continues, so if you’ve got a great name, we’d love to hear it!

Meanwhile, Jim, also known as Papa and my stepdad, celebrated a little independence of his own this week with a brand-new knee. Sometimes we have to take one step back so we can take many more steps forward; this time without pain.

Our bodies are incredible. And so is the medical science that helps us keep living the lives we want to live for as long as we can.

So today we’re celebrating many kinds of independence: a new knee, a blue backpack, the comfort of home, and the hope that tomorrow brings just a little more freedom than yesterday.

Happy Independence Day, everyone. ❤️🤍💙