Miracles in the Madness: How Helping Others Helps You

Posted on Jul 23, 2012 in Personal | 2 comments

Help! (Photo credit: Rainier N.)

Immediately I started getting messages.  I wasn’t on facebook so I didn’t know any of this had happened, but my husband and four other friends all IMd/called/emailed me to say “This is happening, can you go over there?”  You see, I work from home.  I work a lot, too much probably and more than I really should what with that whole nervous breakdown thing this winter, but what I do, I do from home.  I have the kids home in the summer, don’t need before and after care during school and a job I love with Novel Publicity and doing taxes.  I am blessed.

This blessing came in handy today because I called all the numbers I had for my friend and when I got no answer, just got in my car and went.  That’s right, don’t let Pav know you are having an emergency, she might just show up with no warning.  I spent the day with her, playing with babes (even got to give one a bottle, haven’t done that in forever), gossiping about town politics, laughing over gay stereotypes and debating the value of various pulp television shows.  And for an afternoon a huge chunk of my anxiety and depression fell away.

In the middle of my madness, someone else needed me and for whatever good or bad I may think of myself I was able to help.  I have a life where I can work from home and I can be there for my friends and family.  I can bolt from work without notice for 4 hours and it’s fine.  I can sit in a friends living room a cry a little and laugh a lot and tickle babies.  It’s really not so bad to be me.