Learning To Ask for Help

I’ve always been proud of the fact that I am a self-sufficient young woman. I do not need to hold my daddy’s hand when I take my truck to the mechanic. I have my own set of tools to assemble my IKEA furniture, and I’m not afraid of cleaning my own gutters. I can carry my own groceries to my car, and I have no problem going Dutch on a date.

During a trip to , I thought, "Maybe I’m functioning on a girl power overload." I’ve been told that my pride and independence has given me a stand-off kind of attitude from receiving any help. This comment got me thinking, and I noticed I often get so wound up showing how capable I am, that I refuse to accept help from others.

This weekend was my first time in Home Depot to shop for gardening supplies. Gardening is totally new territory for me, so instead of memorizing three issues of Home and Garden, I decided to just give in to help from others.

At first, I was frowning with shame because a guy, who is about my size, had to help me lift the bags of soil and fertilizer. I wanted to kick myself for not being more prepared when confronted with the variety of water hoses, shovels and lawn mowers.

Luckily, the staff at Home Depot diffused my blushing cheeks with kindness, knowledge and patience in answering all my questions. No one questioned my ability as they helped me pack my items into my truck. Instead, the young man helping me with the heavy lifting said, “Don’t worry, you’ll do a great job. Your yard will look great.”

I learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or stupidity. Asking for help is a great way to practice accepting the same kindness you extend to others. In the end, my yard looked great, in half the time, because I got a little more help from friends.