Happy 237th Birthday, America. ( You don’t look a day over 200.)

Great risks reap great rewards

From the beginning we’ve been an experiment in democracy. But before we got our license to own and operate our own place, we teenage colonies had to break away from the mother country. (We’ll always love you, England. Sorry, we haven’t called in a while, but we’ve kinda busy here in the lab, electing our first African American president, passing the Affordable Health Care Act, getting rid of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, supporting Marriage Equality in 14 states, striking down DOMA, and passing an Immigration Reform bill through the Senate. Will you be around Monday night?)

Like I said, we’ve been swamped, but today, we’re taking a break to celebrate the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. Let’s also offer a toast to independence of the more personal kind: the journey our children make toward adulthood and how we parents are transformed profoundly during our role as our kids’ teachers and mentors.

In case you can use a break from the bar-b-que, beer and fireworks, here’s a smorgasbord of posts focusing on personal freedom and power.

My kid is starting (kindergarten, middle school, high school, college, real life) YIKES!

Is your kid an independent thinker or a “Sheeple?”

Sometimes a little less independence is a good thing

Declaring independence isn’t so easy for girls and their best friends

Teen girl’s road to independence goes through Victoria’s Secret

Freedom from a friendship “Loyalty Oath”

Graduating toward independence with a fashion statement that Mom hates

Kids just wanna be free

OK, I’m outta here. Enjoy your holiday weekend. Stay safe.

There's a party going on