Be the Bridge
“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” ~President Ronald Reagan
There are times in a person’s life when they feel powerless to make a change in the world that they wish to see. Poverty, violence, hunger, homelessness, unemployment, loneliness, and on and on and on the list can go. We as a society are bombarded with news and imagery that shows us a world that is bleak, hard and at times unwelcoming. It is no wonder that suicide rates are climbing higher and higher every year. As a nation, we lost almost 45,000 men, women and children to suicide last year alone…and that number is expected to be even higher this year. Another number to wrap your brain around is that for every successful suicide there are 25 failed attempts which means that last year, over 1.1 million people tried to kill themselves and failed. That number is astounding! Over a million people tried to kill themselves last year and for what? What was the driving reason behind these attempts? The number one reason for people wishing to end their own lives is depression. The next question is how do people become so depressed they want to take their own lives? Unrequited love, loneliness, unexpected loss of a loved one, challenges at work, challenges at home, the list here goes on and on as well. We live in a world that is full of hurt and pain and gloomy news, or so it seems.
My purpose here today is not to bring a dark cloud of despair over your day but to share a moment and an idea that might make a difference in your life and the life of another. Over the weekend I had a chance to hear a speaker talk about bridges…as a metaphor…and how important bridges are to each of us in life. Before I get too far down the road, I want each of you to close your eyes and think of a bridge. Go on, just take a moment and close your eyes and think of your favorite bridge or one that you cross regularly. Bridges can be monumental structures that represent the pride of a certain region like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Bridges can also be modest structures like many of the small wooden bridges that dot the landscape all across America on back country lanes and small farmsteads. No matter the size of the bridge or the location of the bridge, they all provide an invaluable service, to help us get from one point to another by crossing a gap or chasm with relative ease. Bridges help us avoid the deep valleys which are sometimes impassable or at the very least would cause tremendous detours around the valley. What a great opportunity for a metaphor for life.
In revisiting the quote from President Reagan, whether you believed in his politics or not, the idea that even though we may desire to help everyone, that desire is almost impossible to achieve. Although we may not be able to help everyone, we can all certainly help someone. Humans are all social creatures which explains in part why social media has become such a dominant force. Ultimately, we as members of the human race, have the capacity to see and reach out to others and offer ourselves as a bridge to others in what ever capacity that may be. We all struggle at times and often we lean on others to help give us the strength we need because we ourselves may not have any strength at that moment. A support network, a group or friends a trusted co-worker or a close family member…any number of these can provide the bridge of strength and support to help get a person past a valley or obstacle in life, to help them get to the safety of the other side. Not everyone has this support network or tribe as my siblings call it. Not everyone has a person they can lean on because they feel so alone and isolated for one reason or another and the valley before them seems so deep that they can’t imagine the possibility of getting beyond it to the safety of the other side. Loss of friendships, love, or family can lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression and this is where we can all step up and take notice of co-workers, colleagues and neighbors. This is where we can all step out of our own world and take notice of our surroundings to recognize the needs of others…to be selfless and be the bridge for someone who might need a little extra support in getting to the safety of the other side of a valley. My call of action for you today, my challenge to you if you will, is to reach out to someone and be a bridge…even if that moment is to help them seek professional help for their needs…we may not be able to help everyone, but we can all help someone. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com