I’m not big on asking for things. Or for help.

Short of the times that I had car troubles in the middle of nowhere and found myself putting on my poor, hopeless girl voice to score a free tire or tow, I was always very determined to get it done myself.

Even after I got married, I had a habit of taking things on without asking for help. Simple things, like carrying the groceries up to our third floor apartment (in one trip, of course), or the more difficult, like coordinating 4 of the 5 moves we made since relocating to Florida.

Post child, I still am not inclined to ask for help. But I am slowly becoming more willing to accept it.

Why?

Before the little person came along, I could exhaust myself and collapse in a heap at the end of the day and it didn’t matter. But now, I need to be a fully functioning human being 24/7. What if the kid is up sick all night? Or if he needs extra attention during the day, pushing chores (or writing) off until later? Or someone scary breaks into the house in the middle of the night and I have to kick them in the face, grab the kid, and jump out a window? (Yes, those are the thoughts that go through my head every time I hear something at night.)

Knowing that someone else is relying on me allows me to begin to accept help from others. I won’t go so far as to say that it allows me to rely on others (I’m not good at that) but it is a step in the right direction.

Accepting help, even in small things, is not a weakness. It takes strength to believe that you are worth their time and effort. And it takes strength to relinquish control.

If you are anything like me, remember, there are probably people in your life that are more than happy to lighten your load from time to time. It doesn’t hurt to let them.

It may even free up some time to things you enjoy.