Strawberry Pie

    "I can hold that if you want," I told my co-teacher, Raelynn. 
    "I can hold it," she said confidently, starting the car. 

    I surveyed the situation dubiously from the passenger seat. The mostly full pie plate was balanced delicately, and Raelynn was supposed to be driving. 

    All went well until we swung into the driveway. The pie, escaping from Raelynn's grasp, flung itself facedown all over the center console. It was a mess. 

    Luckily, Raelynn was of a cheery disposition and saw the humor, even amid the strawberries and cool whip now adorning her car. If only she had let me help her out and hold the pie, the disaster could have been averted. Instead of cleaning the console, we could have been polishing the last bits off our plates. 

    So often we think we can make it on our own. We don't need others in our lives. We are holding the pie and are sure we can manage it just fine. And then everything we thought we had under control flies to pieces. 

    It takes humility to admit our need for others. It takes giving of ourselves to be there for someone else. It's sometimes scary and painful to depend on others, but the blessings far outweigh the pain. 

    As we travel through life, we need to share each others burdens. There is little hope for a person who chooses to try living a life void of others. Reach out a hand and lift a burden. Relinquish a weight you are carrying to a friend. Perhaps someday, after we've helped each other home, we'll all sit down and enjoy a piece of pie together.