to ask or not to ask

I have a hard time asking for help. Take this morning for instance. I was in the middle of feeding the kids breakfast when the phone rang. I was surprised to see Sam's name on the caller id. I thought he had maybe forgotten something or possibly had some news on our still unsold house. Instead, he greets me with the news that he is on his way to the ER because the stomach cramp he mentioned earlier that morning had gotten much, much worse. I asked him if he wanted me to come with him and he said there really wasn't anything I could do. Besides, I had all of the kids and I knew he was right. I wouldn't be able to do anything for him except be there. But I really, really wanted to be there and the only way to make that happen was to ask for help.
I'm ashamed to say that there was a moment, just a moment, when I thought about taking Tru to school and going to the ER with Jem and Caia in tow. Simply because I didn't want to call and ask for help. I didn't want to interrupt someone else's day, someone else's plans. I didn't want to be a burden. I was worried that it might come off as me simply trying to get some free time away from the kids. But I swallowed all of those things down and picked up the phone and made some calls. Because I've learned that while asking someone for help, especially the take-my-kids-for-me kind of help, might inconvenience them, it can actually be more damaging to not ask. When I refuse to ask for help, I keep myself distant from the people around me. On the other hand, when I ask someone for help, I give them the ability to come alongside me and share in my journey. I give them the opportunity to be a blessing and I learn the humility that comes with needing to be blessed.
So today, I share this along with my sincere gratitude to my mom, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law. They allowed me to interrupt their days and gave me the time and freedom to go and sit with Sam at the hospital and to be with him at home without needing to care for anyone else. They blessed me with their willingness to watch my kids. So to them I say a simple but heartfelt thank you!

photo by:LiminalMike  http://www.flickr.com/photos/revcyborg/5228173/