I'd love to have you over for coffee (my specialty). My boy turned two in November, he spends most of the day either playing with cars or playing in the car or pointing at cars in the street.
Independence is a tricky concept. No one really is, like Americans say, an island upon himself. Humans thrived because we could depend on each other. I'd like to see that trust in fellow humans grow again. Maybe where you are from this is not a problem, but here in the town where I live you cannot plant flowers on the front of your house because they will be stolen over night. We do depend on each other to be whole. I think one can speak of independence when ideas and decisions are implied. Maybe this is the concept of being an adult?
I fully acknowledge that we all are dependent on each other. This actually is mental independence as it realizes this matter of fact. Once you know things depend on each other, you can reach inner freedom. As it breaks the illusion of having to carry life all on ones own shoulders. If one thinks that he on one side must control others constantly and on the other side that he doesn't want to owe anything to anyone, this creates the biggest mental chains as the efforts in this field of tension are way too big.
To let go of control and still care speaks of the trust you mentioned.