Are you comfortable asking for help?

by | Sep 28, 2011 | Local Living | 4 comments

I’m not.

Things that make me uncomfortable:

  • childbirth
  • people who eat their boogers
  • asking for help

What about asking for help for others? Is that different?

It depends, I suppose. I suppose I’d rather ask for help for someone else than for me. It’s still something that is very hard for me to do.

For 2 Saturdays in a row I sat outside a local grocery store and asked people to donate diapers or cash towards the purchase of diapers to benefit local babies in need. I was one of those people… You know… the one most passers-by look away from.

I was the reason why some went in *my door* and out the other… the reason they walked their cart out of the way, through a busy lot so as not to have to avoid me. Not that I was tackling anyone… or even invading space. Me just being there was uncomfortable for some.

diaper drive

Standing there – in need… on behalf of others was uncomfortable. My body felt awkward… How should I stand, or sit? Do I smile? Do I say hello? Who am I offending?

Not to mention the eco/political issue of disposable diapers (though ALL diapers are appreciated!).

I didn’t want to make the customers feel awkward (the store didn’t want that either). And my heart so desired to bring in enough diapers for the event the diaper drive was to benefit.

It wasn’t about me.

Yet it felt a lot like it was.

I’m self-centered like that.

You know what I mean, though… right? You’ve walked past those people… from the Salvation Army on the holidays to the guys collecting change to fund recovery programs… candy bars and tickets to car washes…

We walk past them almost all the time. On account of the fact that simply – there is so much need.

I was one of THOSE people.

See? “THOSE”.

I know how I’ve responded to THOSE people at times… avoiding eye contact or exiting from another door.

Is it just me who’s done that?

And then there were the people who said thank you.

THANK YOU?

To me? The gal who was asking for help? I was the thankful one!

They were the people who also connected with this cause. Grandmothers… moms whose children were no longer in diapers… a woman who had cats and no children and didn’t have the expense of diapers so, “I can buy some diapers! I’ve never had to buy diapers before. That was fun!”… The sweet grandfathers who plopped $1 or $20 or a package because their hearts felt connected… “My kids buy diapers too. They’re expensive.”

The hand giving $1 was just as appreciated as the hand giving $20. I was surprised how genuinely moved I felt each time anyone gave… to *my* babies.

I didn’t push. I said hello when it seemed right, and smiled at anyone who dared look my way.

Friends, there is SO MUCH NEED.

This is fodder for a whole other post, but… with so many causes… so many opportunities to help and contribute both time and money — how do you choose? Do you plop a quarter into every can?

At the end of the 2nd Saturday… after a combined 11 hours of standing outside the north entrance of Central Market (THANK YOU CENTRAL MARKET!) friends and many other people in this community gave 1,320 diapers and $420! In fact, I just had a friend give 3 packages of diapers today!… So make that over 1420 diapers!!! I am ordering diapers online this week – I cannot wait to get a final count!

P.S. A BIG thanks to my friend Christy… who stood with me, and provided me regular company, courage and bathroom breaks that second Saturday. And a BIG thanks to the friends who read this blog and endure my Facebook posts about the diaper drives… for coming, giving and making a difference in our community.

P.P.S Finally… A number of people have commended me for arranging the diaper drives. As much as his space is about me making it all about me – there is no way I could have done any of this without my community. We’re looking at what I estimate will be over 3,000 (once the cash donations are spent) diapers! It is the community… friends and local people… who each contributed their resource which together is providing something big. It takes a village? INDEED. I thank YOU, Kitsap County.

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