Thank You and Goodnight

Over the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about how much easier it is to offer and give help than it is to receive it.

I have been brought up to believe that it is my duty to help others whenever I can, giving whatever is required.  Sometimes it is time, working on a committee or fund-raising for a charity; maybe it is giving a helping hand, a lift or a smile to a friend or neighbour.  But how much harder it is to ask for and accept help.

When I first broke the bone in my foot I was almost completely helpless.  I could move around but with great difficulty so I was reliant on somebody else for the simplest things.  I hadn’t realised how many cups of tea and coffee I drink during the day until I had to ask somebody else to make them for me.  And not only to make them but to carry them to wherever I was sitting.  A simple lunchtime sandwich was beyond me.  A shower needed the help of a friend.  All these things we take for granted suddenly were totally beyond me.

Of course, things are improving since I can now put some weight on the injured ankle but this has made me more aware of the problems some of my friends live with.  One friend has multiple sclerosis and walks with the aid of a stick.  Recently she slipped in the shower and broke her good foot making her totally incapacitated.  This then necessitated a short stay in a rest home while she recuperated.  She was totally dependent on others for everything.  She did recover from the broken foot but will never recover from MS.

Another friend has problems with hip joints while yet another has to rely on somebody to push her around in a wheelchair when shopping.  Neither of these will get back to the way they used to be and will always be dependent on others to a certain extent.

So now I am working on graciously accepting the help offered, not trying to be my usual independent self and gratefully acknowledging   the help offered.

So once again, here is my rainbow because while I have always believed it I now know for a fact that something good comes out of even the least likely event aka an accident.

My rainbow

And yes, Pollyanna is alive and well and living in
Wellington, New Zealand.