Is there something I can do to help?

I bought a new Christmas tree at Costco this week. The box was awkwardly large, and as I struggled to fit it into the narrow shopping cart, a nice lady held my cart steady while I loaded the tree. Unsolicited kindness.

Twenty minutes later in the parking lot I ran into the same problem in reverse. While trying to navigate the tree box out of the cart another pleasant lady walked up and calmly asked 

“Is there something I can do to help?”

“If you wouldn’t mind holding the cart still, that would be great” I replied. 

She held, I lifted, and the job was done in seconds.

I was reflecting on the kindness of spontaneous help from strangers, and also the very ‘cool’ way that it can be offered. As someone who has a tendency to want to do everything on my own, it can be difficult to accept. 

There was something gentle in the way that help was offered in both situations that made it palatable to accept. 

Make the world slightly easier for someone around you this week by extending a hand.  

And when offered, let go of pride and embrace the support.

• Now that’s a peak ethos.