People ask all the time to “Let us know what you need.” “Let me know how I can help.” I’ve even done it myself, and I know better. I know that any family that you’re saying that to needs one less thing on their plate and you (and I) unknowingly, have just given them another. You see, we all need help. We need our kids driven home from their sports or activities, we need a nice dinner that you could drop off, we need a gallon of milk next time you’re at the store. If you’re a teacher or other school employee, just look out for our kids. Be the smile they may need in the middle of a long Monday…Let us know if they don’t seem alright.
We put on this facade to show that we’re okay. We’re fine. But we’re different. We’re going home after a long day at work to change an 11 year-old’s diaper, we’re negotiating a delivery time for feeding tube supplies, we’re calling the pharmacy on our lunch hour to see if the medicine we’ve been waiting for has been called in yet. We are navigating enormous piles of paperwork, while trying to make sure we get our bills paid and our children’s permission slips get returned on time.
Being a parent of any child is hard. We all need to help each other. We’re in this together. Don’t we all want the same thing? Kids who grow up to be good people? People who look out and care for others? What would help you the most? It’s time to do exactly that for someone else.
