Give and Take

One thing I have learned since becoming a mother is that it is okay to ask for and accept help.  I am not sure why it is so hard to do for most of us.  When I was pregnant with my daughter I was put on strict bed rest and was told I could only get up to go to the bathroom.  You might think that this would be a blessing to be able to relax, but I had a hard time letting go of the control of my home.  I thought I could still do everything that I always had.  My doctor told me that if I didn't do what she asked I was in danger of having a stroke.  So I begrudgingly accepted help doing the daily things that I had done everyday of my adult life.  I still am not sure why it was so difficult to accept the help.  But since then, it has gotten easier to accept assistance, especially if it is to the benefit of my children.  I have begun to realize that we each have seasons of our lives where we are givers and some where we are takers.  In the season of motherhood I am a giver to my family but a taker of everyone else around me.  It is hard to not feel like a mooch, but I know that I will be in a different season someday where I can be a giver to those who are young mothers just like I am now.  For example, my parents and in-laws help us often by watching the children, occasionally buying us dinner, and finding good deals at garage sales for us.  They are in a position in their lives that they are financially and time-wise more stable than my husband and I are.  So they are able to give more.  But when they were my age they also received help from their parents.  And I will continue the tradition when my children are grown.  The important thing to remember is to not have a spirit of entitlement but of thanksgiving.  We are not entitled to have any help, but we could often use it.  Remember to say thank you and to pay it forward when you are able and be okay with letting others bless you.