Happiness is Support

Well, it’s good to be writing again after being unable to last week. I caught a bad fall cold and was down for the count. And that’s what inspired my topic today: support. Support that makes us happy.

I was guided to call a friend of mine to see if she had a homeopathic remedy for a cold. I have my own methods, but I reached out to her. She actually had two for me. One involved a paste with essential oils in it. She offered to make me some and bring it by. I was deeply touched by this offer because she’s busy like the rest of us. Plus, I was sick. 

She met me at the door, her three kids in the minivan out front. And I felt that bubble of happiness peek through even the worst of my cold. Here she was, supporting me. When I wasn’t at my best. When it wasn’t the happy-go-lucky me. When I needed her.

Reaching out to others is so hard for some of us. Why do we always feel we have to go it alone?

One of my favorite moments in French Roast is when Jill Hale gets up to help Peggy McBride make dinner for her son. Peggy is so used to doing it everything by herself as a single mom that she experiences this moment of disorientation. Then she remembers to say thank you. 

Sometimes that’s all we need to do.

Independence can be a good thing. We do need to be able to do some things on our own, and it’s a valuable piece of our evolution. But we’re also interconnected. People are all around us, having their moments in life, catching colds, whatever. I had to tell myself there was nothing wrong with reaching out.

And do you know what? I realized that being supported makes me happy. I like knowing I have people I can depend on. And having my friend show up like she did with this paste, her three kids yelling in the car, was its own remedy. 

So, let’s all try and remember that it’s okay to ask for help. To receive other people’s support. We don’t have to go it alone. We can choose our moments of connection. 

With that kind of happiness available, we’re all better off reaching out when we need it.