I Need Help...

So I borrowed this picture from a friend.  Thank you!  But today it hit home for me.  Actually it was late last night.  I have always known that those people who are there for everybody are the ones who need someone the most.

Lately, that's me.  I am not a whiner.  I don't complain.  Oh sure, every once in a while I will tell someone that I'm ticked off about something, or I'll confide that I'm not exactly happy but somewhere in that process I'll also make it sound like it's no big deal.

Honestly, I think it's time I stopped being that person who doesn't ask for help.  Or rather maybe it's the way I ask for help.  I keep hearing that asking for help is a sign of strength.  Personally, I believe it is.  For others.  For me, not so much.  So when I reach out to certain people maybe they don't realize that's what I'm doing.  So them not responding to me is my fault.  Mostly because the people I've been calling on lately don't know me all that well.  So I guess I'll have to be more blunt.  Yeah right...that is NOT going to happen.

Then there are those who have known me for a very long time and if you ask them what it's like if they try to find out if I'm OK, they'll tell you it's like pulling teeth, or that I'm fine.

I am someone who has, for my entire talking life, been there for everyone.  Perfect strangers will start talking to me about their problems in the grocery store line up. So for me it's just a natural thing to listen and help others when I can.

Now, it's my turn.  I need help.  I have asked some very specific people for help.  Those who are in the know.  Those who are in a position to help.  Those that are also extremely busy.  I understand that, I truly, honestly do.  I think my problem with them being extremely busy and brushing me off, if they answer at all, is that no matter what I'm doing if someone calls for help, I drop everything and I do mean everything, and give them my undivided attention.  The only thing that trumps me helping someone is my kids.  Even then my kid has to be in dire need for me to interrupt a person that needs my help.

I guess because my dad was a natural counselor and I seem to be one too, I have a hard time asking for help.  I see asking for help as a sign of strength; a sign of recognizing one's own limits; but when I do finally swallow my pride (yes my pride because I don't like to bother other people) and reach out for assistance and get brushed off, the next time I need help it will be even harder to ask again.

So, I guess my message here is if someone is asking for help, don't brush them off, if you can't make time immediately then set a time.  You don't know the difference you might be making in someone's life.