The process of selling our place, paring down to the essentials, loading up a new storage locker, and heading overseas is intense. Keeping up show-home cleanliness, handling administrative stuff, managing our worried dog, hiding during condo showings, cooking with an ever-diminishing pantry, moving furniture, and getting through our to-do lists takes a lot of energy… and is emotionally taxing.
Thankfully, we have amazing friends and family who jump in – and even wonderfully supportive acquaintances! I’m awed by how willing people are to help and continually remind myself that it’s okay to seek assistance.
Ask for the support you need.
Graciously accept the help you’re given.
And trust in those who offer assistance.
Asking for help before the situation feels dire is a good thing. Most people are more than willing to provide support, they just need to be asked. Sometimes I wait until things feel desperate before asking for what I need, but it’s a lot easier to extend a courteous request when it’s not do-or-die!
Accepting aid with humility and thankfulness, rather than protesting, is an important part of cultivating relationships. Who hasn’t been through an awkward battle over a cheque where both parties want to treat the other? Often, a ‘Thank you’ is what’s really desired and resisting attempts to be taken care of leads to disagreements and ill will.
Trusting that people will not offer more than they can give is sometimes the hardest part. My husband likes to say that the worth of a favour is measured by how much it means to the recipient, which sometimes means that the offer feels enormous to the recipient and seems like no imposition at all to the giver. I try not to look gift horses in the mouth and have faith in the generosity of others, presuming that they will not compromise their own feelings or sacrifice their own needs.
Deep relationships are forged in times of change; asking for and accepting assistance is a big part of intensifying bonds and developing strong connections. Moving away from these amazingly supportive people is incredibly challenging, but at least I have been able to experience the depths of their generosity and have faith in the strength of the relationships. I know that all this support will continue regardless of how many time zones separate us!