Choosing the image of Milo, my seven-year-old cat, perched on the windowsill isn't random. There's something about his independence — his mysterious hours-long disappearances and assured returns — that intrigues me. Regardless of his bold adventures, he always regards our home as his sanctuary. His adventures, though untraceable, teach me a valuable lesson: embracing independence shouldn't mean severing our connections to what we call home.