Please Don’t Wait Until I’m Broken To Fix Me

The real question is why didn’t anyone bother to ask why he was sitting on a wall in the first place…

When you think about the elliptical shape of an egg it’s not really surprising Humpty Dumpty had his great fall, is it? When you factor in gravity, an egg on top of a wall is an accident waiting to happen. And in Humpty’s case that’s exactly what happened.

Sure, all the king’s horses and men tried their best, but, as the story goes, they couldn’t put Humpty back together again.

Too little too late.

Sometimes we find our own emotionally elliptical-shaped self teetering atop of our own walls, and with one small change in circumstance we, too, can find ourselves in pieces on the floor, hoping the horses and men (and women) in our own life will be there trying to help us piece our emotional self back together again. And while it’s good to have friends to help you pick up your pieces, wouldn’t it be better if they never let you fall in the first place?

In an ever-busy world, friendship has become more reactive than proactive. It’s just taken for granted. The prevailing assumption is everyone knows others who are “there” for them if needed. But needs aren’t always visible, and pride and embarrassment often stop those in need from ever reaching out to those who can help. The struggle, we rationalize, is our struggle, so we quietly retreat inside, put on our best happy face, and attempt to manage the ever-intensifying pain on our own.

My sense is there is far more emotional pain in our immediate world than we realize, both within us and around us.

Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in the lives of those closest to me. I mean really going on. Behind their smiles, behind their “everything’s fine” responses. Do they know I’m really “there” for them or do I simply assume they do? Couldn’t I check in with them and actually ask them? What’s so difficult about touching base and reminding them how much I appreciate them being in my life and how I am always available for them should their journey ever leave them emotionally weakened?

Friendship is a verb.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m brave enough to reach out to those in my world when the weight of my world is getting the better of me. Aren’t I supposed to just be strong? Aren’t I supposed to just be able to deal with things? Isn’t that what we’ve been told the world expects us to be? Do I let the stigma associated with asking for help keep me from doing so?

How about you? What’s really going on in the lives of those you call your own? Are you sure they know you’re “there” for them? What’s going on in your life? Are pride and ego preventing you from asking those in your world for a little help when you need some?

Great falls make for interesting nursery rhymes.

But they’re best avoided in real life.

It’s a great day to be you!