Helpful Friends

Although we love to get together with friends, it can be challenging for Mikey to be in unfamiliar environments. Our friends and family know this and they accommodate us by traveling to spend holidays, reunions and dinner parties at our house. My loving advice on just another Manic Monday is this: cultivate these friendships. Helpful friends are the best!

Examples

Helping can look different for each friend or family member. Here are some examples from our life.

1. A neighbor who does the dishes after a neighborhood dinner party.
2. An old friend who knows everyone is staying for the weekend, so she shows up with breakfast items to share.
3. Sisters-in-law who help you pack up the leftovers to put in the freezer.
4. Cousins who sit with Mikey and show him how to play the guitar while you get a minute to relax.
5. Friends who talk through your worries about hosting and help you make a game plan to manage.
6. A husband and son who say, “What can I do? How can I help?”
7. Loved ones who ask what they can bring to contribute.
8. A friend who comes the night before and helps set up the morning of the party.

I used to have a tendency to refuse help.  Raising Michael has humbled me to always accept when it is offered.  What I realized in this process is that people want to help.  They’re looking for ways to be involved, to connect with you and to support you…isn’t that what you’re looking for too? I love to help other people, so I’m not sure what my hesitation was when I was younger. But…I can tell you it is long gone.  I accept the help graciously and give a big THANK YOU in return.  I’ll take all the help I can get.