Look for the helpers and be a helper

As I reflect on the past week to begin the new week on a positive note as I normally do on Sundays, I am inspired by a memory from close to a decade ago. It was?a sunny day on?December 21 in 2012. ?I was fiddling with my luggage before going through security at?a?Louisiana airport. I?remember being?physically and emotionally?tired?on that Friday. I looked forward to getting home after chaperoning a trip?on behalf of the WPI Habitat for Humanity chapter.?Our trip from Boston to Louisiana had started out a week before, on December 14.?I remember the faces of my young students as they scrambled into Logan to meet at the gate at an ungodly early hour; their hair all disheveled and still wiping sleepers out of their eyes.?They had just begun their winter break and were looking forward to a much needed break from their studies. Little did they know that 26 lives of mostly children would be cut short that day.

We were all so excited to embark on our?mission to?do our part to help Louisiana recover from the devastating effects of hurricane Katrina.?As we taxied in to the Louisiana airport, the news of the horrifying events of the Sandy Hook shooting?overshadowed our excitement. I heard members?of our group frantically?making phone calls to loved ones to see if anyone in their circle had been impacted; Connecticut is a sister state after all. Despite the news, when we arrived at the?remote?church?outside of New Orleans, we did our best to put the sad news behind us?and move?forward?to make the most of our volunteering efforts.

As I fiddled with my luggage on the return trip and sipped the last of my coffee before entering security, a petite, elderly woman dressed in all black approached me. She spoke softly and said, “Thank you for all that you’ve done.” The expression on my face was a little confused but then?I remembered I was wearing my green Habitat for Humanity t-shirt.?It took a moment for me to realize she was a nun.?She went on to tell me that she lived in Louisiana and felt the effects of Katrina firsthand.?I could see the pain in her eyes as she spoke.?She?touched my hand and said, “I think what you have done is wonderful for us and I want you to know, we are truly grateful that you chose to help.” In that moment, my heart just burst with pride and the sadness of the national events of the week I was returning home to, slipped to the back of my mind. Volunteering can be a thankless job, but you do it because you know you’re helping, even if others don’t directly thank you. I was literally blessed with a show of gratitude, so the moment was etched in my mind and heart forever. This loving, caring woman looked for and found a “helper”?to personally thank. Granted, I knew she devoted her life to living and spreading the word of God, but she didn’t have to seek me out to thank for this act of kindness, she wanted to, maybe even perhaps needed to.

Fast forward to today, I am?trying to start my week?but struggle to do so?on a positive note amidst the?crisis in Ukraine. We are all?bombarded by the?frightening images?of?Russia invading Ukraine?and the terrified men, women and children fleeing their homes.?We will receive more stories in the days and months ahead. It’s easy to be sucked into this world drama and lose sight of?the reality of our small patch of land thousands of miles away from the devastation taking place.?When we see the horror, we feel some of that pain which can spiral into the crippling anxiety if we don’t tame it.

I encourage you to put the phone down and limit?exposure to?the bombardment of media channels which swamp us with?images and videos of people scared to death and fighting for their lives.?It is difficult to discern the facts through?various?channels of information?by?so many?voices, many?with ulterior motives?most likely.?Let’s?take a moment to follow the advice of Fred Rogers’ mom?who said,?“Look for the helpers.?You will always find people who are helping.”?I see all of the protesters in the US and all around the world, even?inside?Russia?itself, and I want to thank them for their support and?show of evidence they care deeply about Ukrainians. Look for the helpers around you every?day, those people who check in on you and ask how you’re doing; there is always someone who cares.?Be a helper and feel the satisfaction of knowing you choose to help people through natural or man-made crises.

To my colleagues at my current and former companies, thank you for checking in on me.?

To my friends and family, thank you for?touching base with me this week to see how I’m doing.

To all the people I will?check in with, I wish you peace and will support your efforts to cope through these terrifying moments in history.?I am a helper, so find me?if you need me.