Last night I had just crawled into bed after 4 hours of non stop hustle after work to sell our old Bayliner boat and watch it go down the road when my cell phone text message dinged.  Normally, I have it on Do Not Disturb by 9 pm and it was 9:30 but I looked at it knowing that not many people in my life call or text after 9 pm because they know me.  It was our lovely neighbor across the street.  She and her fiance have a 4 year old boy and we’re all pretty tight and enjoy doing things together and keep an eye on each other’s houses.  She suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and she’s open about that struggle.  She was at a neighbor’s house with her son and the neighbor girl hit him in the eye with a wire brush used to clean the grill.  She didn’t know what to do and in a panic. Her fiance is a chef and not responding to her texts or calls at work so we were her next line of defense.  I said I’d be right over.  I threw on sweats over my PJ’s and zipped out my door.  After a full assessment with my honed mom skills and having looked at many eyeballs for foreign objects I determined the young man’s quick reflexes meant that his eyelid crease took a scrape but not his eye ball.  I got hugs which was just the thank you I needed.  I told her as she kept thanking me that this is what mom’s do, this is what families do, this is what neighbors do.  We lift each other up.  We support each other.  Why are we so reluctant to reach out and ask for help and ask for support or a lift when we need it most?

She is a stay at home mom and dad works a lot of hours as a chef and she can’t get time away at all.  I think I’ll see if she wants to go to a yoga class soon and Chris can watch the boy for an hour.  It’ll be good for everyone in a lot of ways.  I hope it might help her find a path to heal some of her anxiety and panic attacks.

And don’t worry, I know I’m not a medical professional.  She’s going to take him to an eye doctor today if it shows any weeping out of the eye or swelling and redness.  I have confidence that he’s fine and it was a close call.

Last night I came downstairs to use the bathroom and could hear voices on the porch.  I glanced out to see her fiance and Chris on our porch talking.  It was good to see.  Men lifting up and supporting each other in a way that needs to happen more, not just at a gym.  Find a way to lift someone up that’s in your circle this week.