One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is to accept and ask for help. I’ve had a lifetime to prefect self-sufficiency and going it alone. Care taking others, figuring out systems for them, and taking on tasks to ease their way, is a piece of cake for me. This strategy has helped me develop many talents, and learn new ways of doing things. That’s the good news. However, there is a down side to this constant giving: the muscle that, asks for and receives help, has atrophied. Even so, there is some hope for me yet. Lately, some events have forced me to start exercising this less used muscle, and it is because of some small things, and then some very big things.
A Lesson in a Supermarket
New Dimensions’ guest, Susan Moon (see program #3374, airing Jan. 5, 2011), tells the story of her mother’s circle of women friends. They call themselves,”Mother’s of Daughters” and would have a gathering each time a daughter came to visit from far away. Although their hands were shaking and many used walkers to help them get around, they had each lived vibrant and interesting lives. So often we are quick to dismiss our elders. We can be impatient with them as they amble slowly down the grocery store aisles blocking our way as we rush around in our “busy” and “important” lives. There was a day, however, when I was stopped in my tracks by a young man who had a different view from mine.


Michael Toms
Forgiveness Is The Path
Designing Products Toward Sustainability
Genuine Sustainable Abundance
The Quakers, Forging America’s Identity
The Power Of Stories To Heal
Dealing With Chronic Pain
Dialogue: A Habit Of The Heart
Two Cultural Cycles: Logos And Mythos