Four letter word

There are a lot of taboo words in society, usually in type they are expressed in the following format: sh&t, f*&k, etc, etc. The word that we don't usually see changed for correctness is the word help. Such a simple 4 letter word, one that is not taboo, but one that is so hard to vocalize.

I find myself stricken with the stomach flu, and a day later my sweet boy cannot escape the same fate as me. For 4 days the baby cries and there is nothing I can do to alleviate the pain that he is feeling from the virus that has invaded his body. I'm sleep deprived ( more than normal ), still struggling with eating solid food and home alone as my husband has returned to work. It took a day and a half, but finally I succumbed and asked for help. I called Chris, fighting back tears and he came home from work. And then I called my mom...

Why, oh why didn't I do this sooner? Why did I think I had to do this all by myself? Why did I think that asking for help made me less of a mom? Pride? Perhaps. Perfectionism? Also a good contender.

But do you know what I realized after spending time with my mom? I realized that asking for help wasn't giving up, but that I could be a better mom if I accepted the help of others. I understood that I don't have to do it all by myself and that maybe Hillary was right when she said "it takes a village". I didn't need to seclude myself on an island of pride and stubbornness, because the world where I could more adequately care for my son is a much better place to live.

Relinquishing control is not something I am good at, but it is something I am practicing now on a regular basis. Life truly is a journey, and it's much easier when you take the trip with those that love and support you. So taking a pit stop to ask for help still gets me to my destination, and it makes the trip more enjoyable for everyone.