As we begin the new year, a couple of moments stand out from my week:
The first was this evening in the grocery store check-out line. I noticed my checker was moving particularly slowly. She was eyeing my groceries with concern, and then the bags, and then looking up with hope trying to find a bagger willing to join her at the check stand. When no one seemed available she sighed and began very slowly to bag my groceries. Then suddenly a bagger arrived and my checker turned to her and said, “You’ve made me want to cry.” The bagger asked, “Why?” And I said, “Because you showed up.” The checker said, “Exactly. How did you know?”
I knew, because earlier this week, I had a similar moment of deep gratitude when someone showed up for me. I was trying to fly home from Upstate New York. Along the way, I got caught up in the COVID/weather travel nightmares with airlines cancelling flights and many folks stranded along the way. I was one of those stranded, first in Atlanta, and then again in Orange County. I waited in line after line trying to get a new flight home, and have my baggage attended to. At the end of my second full day of travel, I finally got scheduled on a midnight flight back to Portland. But a friend reached out to warn me that even if I did manage to get to PDX, the Uber and Lyft drivers were few and far between at that time of day, especially with COVID and the Holidays. I stood the chance of making it home only to be stranded at my home airport. But that same friend reassured me, by offering to pick me up despite my ghastly late arrival time, and the inconvenience it would cause him.
In these uncertain times, when anxiety reaches a level of overwhelm due to events beyond our control, sometimes all it takes is someone showing up for you. It doesn’t have to be much, an extra hand, a ride, a walk, or a chat with someone you care about. For parents with children facing the unknowns of school closures, offering childcare, or a gift card for a massage, or even just a listening ear, can mean the world to them. Showing up for each other is one of the best relational resolutions one can make for the New Year. It’s an act of kindness that fills others with hope and care.
We are all connected. When you show up for someone in need, it can mean the difference between utter despair and their feeling seen, safe, and held.
Happy New Year one and all! I hope 2022 turns out to be a year of being seen, and showing up for one another.
***
Disclaimer:
Neither the publisher nor the author are engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions continued in this blog are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a licensed mental health and or child development advisor. All matters regarding the health and development of your child require professional supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this blog.