Helping and Being Helped. Loving and Being Loved.

It seems like we always want to be the ones who are helping.  We do not want to depend on other people.  We want to be self sufficient.  I know that I want to do the work that I consider mine.  At least a part of me wants to handle my challenges without anyone else being bothered, or worrying.  But I have tried this before, and it is hard, and lonely.

I am currently in a situation where I have needed help, and where I know that I will need more.  I have what I like to call a mild case of breast cancer.  Very curable.  Just not fun or convenient.  I told somebody that I was going to have to let people help me more than I want to.  The helper is the strong one -- right?  Don't I want to be the strong one?  (Yes!  I do!)

It struck me today that perhaps I should think of helping and being helped more as loving and being loved.  Is it really a weakness to be loved?  Does it make me less of a person that people care enough for me to want to make my life easier, or more manageable?   Aren't I helping too, when I really appreciate what people do for me?  When I love them for loving me so well?  When I want to help them just like they help me?

I think, when we change how we look at it, helping, and being helped can be loving and being loved, and loving each other is what life is about.

This is my elephant that I haven't yet named -- much to Dan's disappointment.
A friend gave him to me so I'd have something to snuggle in hard moments.
Ha!  Maybe I should name him Snuggles!