Last week, somebody who was joining my Coping and Healing groups said to me, “I have trouble asking for help.” I hope it helped when I replied, “You’re not alone. Many other people in the groups also struggle with asking for help.”
Yesterday morning, when I was writing my second Letter from the President for the Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy (NSGP) newsletter, my boyfriend Michael started talking in his sleep. Michael sometimes talks in his sleep in the mornings, but I can never hear what he’s saying. It doesn’t help that he mumbles while sleep-talking. Yesterday, he said
Don’t (…unintelligible mumbling…) ASK FOR HELP!!
“ASK FOR HELP!” was so loud and clear that it startled me and the cats. Inspired by that message from the sleeping Michael, I immediately sent my latest version of my Letter from the President to a helpful friend and NSGP board member, and asked for her help in reviewing what I’d written. It really helped that I asked for help that way, because (1) she was very positive and helpful in her feedback and (2) this morning I restarted my computer and would have completely lost all my latest work if I hadn’t sent her that draft.
As Michael said, ASK FOR HELP!
I heard “ASK FOR HELP!” in my head yesterday as I looked for helpful images to capture and share. You don’t have to ask me to include them here and now.
Right before I took that last photo, I heard many cat noises coming from inside our house, so I asked for Michael’s help in identifying them. Since I asked for help, he showed me this video:
Those hungry cats were asking for help, and they got it.
After our long walk near the seashore yesterday, I received an email about Open Mic’s around Boston. Because it helps to practice my original songs, I asked for help in signing up for a slot tomorrow night.
Last night, Michael and I had dinner with my friend and co-worker Alice and her husband (not pictured). I said, “I think Alice and I have the female equivalent of a bromance. I wonder what that’s called?” Later, I asked for help in identifying that term. Would you like to ask for help in discovering what that word is?
It’s “womance.”
If you have trouble sharing your thoughts and feelings in a comment below, ASK FOR HELP!
Every day, I ask for help in expressing my gratitude to all those who help me create these posts and — of course! — to YOU.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 
Those beach stones are beautiful. It is interesting to me that they are so different from the ones on the beaches near me.
Today I am going to help my husband celebrate his birthday.
Happy belated birthday to your husband, Maureen, and your comments always help me.
I saw my travel agent, and I asked for help. I’ve now got wheelchair assistance at LA airport to assist me with the change over from my international flight to domestic flight to New York 😊✈️🗽🛫
I’m glad you ask for help, Ivor, and that you get it. Thanks for helping so many people with your beautiful poetry.
Thank you Ann, always my pleasure…..
I am a lifelong helper and it is an ongoing challenge for me to be the one to ask for or accept help. I’ve gotten better at it though…
It’s a lifelong challenge for you, me and others. I’m glad you’re getting better, beth, at asking for and accepting help because you deserve it!
Thanks )
All those cats reminded me of a small stray dog I once saw. He went to the door of a cafe and barked. A man brought out a plate with food and set it down. After the dog ate all the food he went to the next door and barked. The second door led into the same cafe, and the man who’d brought the food just looked at the dog and laughed.
There’s a lesson in there about the value of asking for help, but I need someone else to assist me in figuring it out.
I think the lesson is that you should keep asking, even if people sometimes laugh at you. Thanks for asking for help, Chris, and also supplying help to others (like me!) so often.
Ask for help and Oscar will write you a novel!
I’m asking Oscar and he’s on it!
Some people have a problem asking for help it is something I am getting better at
I’m glad you’re getting better at asking for help, Joanne. Thanks for helping me!
So many of us who can give it find it hard to ask for ourselves
So true, Derrick. Many thanks for another helpful comment.
I have trouble asking for help. Little things, no problem, but BIG things, I feel like a bother. I don’t really know why, because I enjoy helping others. You’ve got me thinking again, Ann! 🙂
I couldn’t ask for a better comment, Debra.
Pingback: Day 2528: Resistance | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally