Many Hands

Friday again.  Admittedly the days blur into each other more now I am retired.    Once upon a time I knew exactly what day it was, and had no doubt when the weekend was coming up.
Sorta different now though.  I often need reminding of what day it is and get told it is so and so day.  Occasionally I was thinking it was a different day.  Fortunately I know I have different activities on different days.
At the moment Saturday is the only day I mostly have nothing planned.  That is not true once a month and I am hoping it will not be true once a quarter.  Tomorrow a few of us are headed to a friend's place. We intend only being there a few hours but hope to make a difference.
What we are doing is going to someone’s place who has asked us to.   We have been asked to weed.  I am hoping that we can overwhelm the thing with sheer numbers.  Sheer numbers being six.  Whatever happens I sure hope it looks better than before we arrived.
It could be reasonably asked why “don’t they do it themselves”?  Truth is, they would if they could.  This person is getting long in the tooth and lost their husband recently.   What was routine has become overwhelming.
I just know if it were me, I would like some help too.  Worlds shrink the older a person gets.  It is a fact of life.  I must admit I was glad when dad gave up driving.  The last straw for me was when I hoped in the car with him.  It was a really wide road, and dad still managed to go through a tree when doing a U-turn.
Things taken for granted by most become a bridge too far.  I was at an older person’s home and asked to unscrew something they could not.  I found it easy peasy, but it highlighted to me how the seemingly simplest task can be a showstopper until it is dealt with.
I must admit one of the saddest ads I saw on tv was an old fella answering the door.  It took him so long to get to the door that the caller left before he got there.
No one I know of likes it.  In fact people are more likely to wait too long before acknowledging they could do with some help.  To me it is an understandable pride thing.  No one likes to admit need.  Especially when they have been robust and independent.
I am actually grateful I have been able to admit need.  My thinking is,” why wait when the help is available”?
So tomorrow is a great adventure.  I know I want help when I need it, and from what I see I am no different from anyone else.  I know I am limited in what I can do, but I will do what I can do.