Lean On Me

This week, I saw something that moved me to tears.

This picture was accompanied by a caption that read: "Sitting in the waiting room at the hospital before mom goes in for surgery. Happy to be here to hold her hand. Let's get rid of this goddamn cancer."

In the name of privacy, I'm not going to share the name of the person that posted this photo.  However, I will tell you a few things about the person that posted this.  First of all, he is wildly talented and in a successful band and travels from state to state performing. There are a million places he could have been that day, but he was there, with his mother, supporting every stride she takes towards wellness.  Secondly, just to satisfy your curiosity, while is mother is definitely not out of the woods, the surgery did go well.  Thirdly, he is an amazing example of someone who has found a healthy outlet for his mental health disorder: music.  And finally, he is an amazing person.  Always kind, always listening.  He is someone I am proud to call a friend.

However, this post isn't about mental health or wellness or anything like that.  This post is about being still and leaning on those who love us.  The last two weeks have been hard for me.  I have an approaching struggle that's made me nervous about my emotional stability.  I think I've dealt with it well so far.  But I know it's only going to get harder the closer we get.  I saw this photo (exactly when I needed to) on Monday.  I read the caption casually and immediately stopped.  I broke down completely.  I cried for my friend and his family.  Then I spent a few minutes basking in the beauty of this photo.  The love between a mother and son.  The power of the struggle this family is experiencing.  The fight I see within this young man's words.  All of it is so beautiful.  Then I spent another few minutes hurting for the struggle this family is going through.

Seeing this picture reminded me that we need to lean on the love we have around us.  There are so many people ready to catch us if we fall.  We get so caught up in being independent and self-sustaining that we forget who is there to catch us.  I want to be more like my friend and his mom.  Strong when I need to be (like him), falling into the love around me when I have to (like his mother).  Thank you, friend, for this reminder.  My thoughts are with you and your family this week.

"You deserve healing." -Ben Howard