A World Full of Helpers

"Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength." -Dalai Lama

The practice of therapy has been to me, one of the greatest privileges of my lifetime. I am so glad that, as a student, I didn't give up on finding what career it was that would enable me to help others for the rest of my life.

Along the way, however, I encountered so many individual people and groups of people that served as great helpers for me along the way. Sometimes they were professionals, and sometimes they were helpers because they saw a need and an opportunity to help.

Where did I find helpers?

I found helpers in non-parent-adults that encouraged me, loved me, shaped me with their guidance, and educated me with their life stories. They became family members to my soul like the soil around the roots of a tree is in a relationship with that tree. We enriched one another.

I found helpers in school teachers, librarians, "lunch parents", volunteers in my classroom, and Girl Scouts of America troop leaders. I found a helper in school administrators that advocated for me and supported my parent.

I found helpers in the doctors and nurses involved in my care. I found helpers in the ones that undid the damages of fear and trauma.

I found helpers in my friends' parents, at times. I found a helper in my first boss.

I found helpers in best friends, and in very observant roommates and housemates.

I found helpers that advocated for me as a person, who celebrated who I was, and who increased the hope that I could find and use to carry me.

I found helpers in good neighbors and kind strangers.

What helpers can we find, will we find, if we look through our life stories?

Who has had compassion upon us?

Who has been pulling for us, from the beginning?

Who has shown up, somehow, in a big way or in a small way?

In a world full of beauty, life, hurt, and pain, I hope that I am counted, along the way, among the helpers.