The Helpers You Forgot to Notice

Thursday practice: look for the helpers.

Fred Rogers’ mother told him to always look for the helpers — that in any scary or difficult situation, there were always people helping, and finding them was a way of staying steady. I’ve been thinking about that this week, and I want to extend it a little.

It doesn’t have to be a crisis. On an ordinary Thursday in May, who helped you get here? Not in a dramatic way. Just in the accumulation of small assists that kept the week moving.

The person who answered your question when they could have ignored it. The one who held space for your bad mood without making it worse. The friend who sent the right thing at the right time without knowing they were doing it. The stranger who let you in during traffic. Your past self who made a decent decision that’s paying off now.

You didn’t get here alone. Today, find the helpers. Some of them deserve a thank you.

You didn’t get here alone. Find the helpers and let them know.

Who helped you get through this week that you haven’t acknowledged yet?