When the Legs Give Out

This past weekend, I watched my niece give everything she had on the state dance floor. She left it all out there. When she finally walked off, her legs just gave out. She had nothing left to give. Later that day, her sister literally picked her up and carried her.

It reminded me of my last marathon. That race was a struggle from the start; I was sick to my stomach and, more than once, I was ready to quit. But my sister showed up. She ran and walked alongside me until we finished. We joke now that she carried me through that day—and we even have a picture to prove it.

It brought me to Ecclesiastes 4:10:

"If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."

I am fortunate to have "my people"—family, friends, and coworkers who pick me up when I fall, whether that’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They don't just watch from the sidelines; they show up for the hard miles.

But I’ve been thinking about the people who feel alone. The ones who don't have anyone to step in when they hit their limit.

We all know someone who is struggling right now. Maybe they’re hiding it well, or maybe they’re the "strong" ones who always do the helping. This week, the challenge isn’t just to "be kind"—it’s to actually help carry the weight.

This week, pick someone up:

• Buy the coffee.

• Take them to lunch.

• Send a text or make the call.

• Write a pen-and-paper letter.

  
  

And as a bonus: let the people in your life who have your back know how much you appreciate them. Falling is part of being human, but we weren't meant to get back up alone.

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