Why Won't You Help Me?

Last was a hard week, I mean a HARD week. I did something a little different last week that I believe I haven't done in a few months. I allowed myself to be myself. I know what you're thinking, "how can you not be yourself?". I think that there is a version of ourselves that we run away from, a version that is vulnerable and that the world tags as "weak". There has been a lot going on in our country, from the tweets of our President, the massacres of our children, etc. I haven't taken a stand on any of it because I wanted to stay neutral. I wanted to stay as far away from the conversation as possible because of fear. What if my views aren't strong enough? That's how far from myself I have been in the last few weeks, but back to the point.

There were several moments in my week last week where I was at a difference of opinions with a coworker. I believe in teamwork and no man getting left behind. There I was doing my job and a team member walks past me in a mood. Now, this man was the image of cheerfulness but his smile wasn't there. I felt obligated to help and I voiced that opinion.

"I mean, you don't have to go see how he's doing." That's what was said to me and before I knew it, "If we don't care more about each other more and more people will die. It's the lack of care that causes mass shootings and creates loneliness. Someone did it for me when I didn't ask, so I'm gonna do it for him."

Another day last week, yet another team member came out of the break room crying. A little backstory, I choose not to speak to this team member because of what they are involved in. I stopped what I was doing to ask what was wrong. That person cried their eyes out and went home for the day. The real struggle was working to find someone to cover their assignment. As a team member and I worked together to make a plan, another team member voiced his opinion.

"You guys are doing way too much. It's our job to do our job, not figure out things for the managers." My response, "We're supposed to help each other and I've got nothing but time to help.".

This isn't to put me on a pedestal because I have that "me and mine" attitude as well but I remember a time when I had nothing and was offered a place to stay along with a warm meal. We get so caught up in our own problems that we forget about each other. It has become optional to care about one another when it used to be a necessity. Neighbors brought each other pies to welcome each other to the community, men opened car doors, but now our heads are down in our phones. We're forgetting about each other. Last week God opened up my heart to show me that caring about people is in me and if it's in me, it's in ALL of us.

It shouldn't be our option to help, it should be our duty to help. Don't let another moment of your life go by without a random act of kindness because your smile and encouragement could be enough to change the tide in this war that we are fighting against each other.

So be encouraged, keep your head up, and know that you are loved.