Who Do The Strong Go To For Help?
The Strong Ones
The strong do need help, advice, comfort, nurture and support. Many make the mistake of giving to others all the time, basking in the limelight of being recognized as the ‘giver’, yet routinely fail to replenish their physical, mental and spiritual stores – often with disastrous consequences to themselves and others.
Just before takeoff, the flight crew often remind us that if the oxygen masks drop down, we should put them on ourselves first before attempting to put them on anyone else, including our children. Why? Because you must secure your strength first in order to be able to effectively rescue another.
We often make the mistake of thinking that the thanks, praises and adulations from the grateful are sufficient fuel for our strength. I don’t think so. More important are physical rest, spiritual nourishment and psychological repair… especially the repair after we have heard so many stories of horror, trauma and despair. Our minds need to be renewed and refreshed, just like the earth after every winter, in order for it to be fertile again.
This is the thought: If you consider yourself strong, find the shoulder to lean on now before you need it. If you know someone who is strong, consider offering them your shoulder to lean on, when they will need it… for eventually, they will.
The image used in this post is courtesy of the contributors to Creative Commons. I am immensely grateful.