If You Need Anything, Day Or Night, Just Let Me Know.
Happy Thursday morning to you! I have a short simple question for you to ponder today for Thoughtful Thursday. Do people really mean it when they say, “if you need anything, day or night, just let me know”? How many times have we heard that? How many times has someone looked us dead in our face, with what appeared to be genuine sincerity, and said those words to us? But did they really mean it? Is there anyone on the face of this earth that will stop what they are doing and just give you a hand, especially if it interferes with what is going on in their day? I think the answer is no. I do think there are great people out there that will do literally anything for anyone but still, it comes with conditions.
I have an Aunt and Uncle that are the closest I know to actually altering their day/night for the needs of someone else. One time when my mother and father were out of town and I thought there was a mouse in my apartment, I called them at 4:00 in the morning and they came right over bearing mouse traps! My Uncle whistled while he laid those traps and my Aunt held her normal, happy go lucky conversation with me. They only accepted a thank you and went on about their night/morning as if they had done nothing great! But they had! They actually fulfilled the, “if you need anything, just let me know, day or night” to perfection. They are great people! But again I say; that is so rare.
A while back I needed some things. I had been promised help if I was ever in this situation. It came. I called upon the promiser and the promise ended up void. Lol. I moved on and I depended on myself and others, but it was hard not to be bitter, especially when I felt like I had always been there for them! Another point, have you ever said you were going to do X Y and Z and a person steps up real quickly and says I’ll do it, only because it will benefit their greater cause for you not to do it. But then when it is all said and done, they didn’t do it for you and the time has passed for you to do it for yourself, and in the end, it wasn’t done. They could care less and have gone about their life, but not getting it done, greatly and adversely impacted your situation.
I guess what I’m saying is, can and should we ever depend on another person or should we only rely and depend on ourselves? My answer is, I believe we all need each other. I believe if God wanted us to not help each other, he would have given us all our own personal island and equipped us with the power to fulfill all of our own needs, but He didn’t. So yes, we need each other but can we really, truly depend on each other? Will you really get up in the middle of the night for me if you are tired and sleepy and have to work tomorrow? Does being there for your neighbor only hold true if their needs fall on the weekend? Does being there for someone come with the condition of you having free time at the moment, so helping does not interfere with your day?
I had a friend that would claim to be there for me, however, whenever I needed that friend, I could only depend on help about 30% of the time. My needs always came behind what was happening in their day! But is that really true help when you need it? My mother used to say, “if you can’t help a fellow when they need it, it isn’t really help”. I agree.
What do you think? I’ve said a lot here, but the simple question is: Do people really mean it when they say: “if you need anything, day or night, just let me know”?
Holla back!
I tell my son all the time, “people don’t say what they mean and they don’t mean what they say!” except for his father and me. If you don’t mean it, just don’t say it. There’s no harm there’s no foul. I have told people–if you need me, call me, I’ll see what I can do for you and I honestly mean it. Now, call me day or night, that’s reserved for my son and my niece, Kayla. I’ve been burned too many times to not be truthful. A very dear friend of my moms’ once called me and told me she wanted some housedusters. I couldn’t imagine why she called me. She has full grown sons, daughters and full grown grandchildren….but dusters I went and bought…ones that snap ones that zip and ones with pockets. I don’t know what made her so presumptous and confident that I would do it without questions but I did. So, to remain an honest person I have to speak up and be clear so folks don’t find a comfort spot in MY wallet. I have my favorites that I like to do for and that’s probably not nice but I’m just being honest here. I feel like there’s a blessing hidden for me somewhere down the line if I just move when there is a geniune need. I have learned to do several things on my own because the individual that said, I’ll do it for you, or I’ll help with that, never came thru….silly stuff like I make a good RED VELVBT CAKE W/CREAM CHEESE ICING from scratch for my january birthday because the person who promised me they would do it without any problem all of a sudden didn’t have anytime the day of!! If I’m not a woman of my word- who am I???
I believe that a person should always be prepared to have the mindset that they can only depend on themseives, that way, if people dont come through for them, it will not dissapoint so much. However, I do feel like you should still be there for a person if you tell them you will be. If you are there for peoplle in their time of need, eventually good friends and people will come into your life and be there for you. What goes around comes around.
Kourtney,
very, very well said.
Leah, I 100% agree, if you are not a man or woman of your word, who are you?
I have been told my expectations of people are too high so, trust and believe, I have lowered them. The thing is, our expectations are based on how and what we do for people. I truly believe, there is no such thing as unconditional love and there are alot of fair-weathered friends out there. They will do for you if and only if, it fits into their day and into their schedule and does not put them out in any way.
Kourtney, I am doing exactly what you said, learning how to depend on me and Jesus and that is all! Period!
I loved you all comments but I believe just like “it takes a village to raise a child” I believe those same villagers have to be there to help one another. Kathy, I feel you on lowered expectations..BUT, if we lower them all how will people be held accountable for behavior they are SUPPOSE to be exhibiting?? I have a story. I had a saved coworker and we both got different jobs but kept in touch occasionally! Her father died tragically, he’s in the tree business and a tree fell on him. As soon as I found out I called and made offer…”Regina, whatever you need”..but I knew some things so I cooked and took food and later she called and said, “I need you to come stay with the girls and I need to get away I’m having a bad day” I went immediately…she has 4 FOUR kids but that’s what she needed. We have to be that committee of 1, keep our word, and do what our Mother’s taught us..everybody wasn’t taught well. Our reward is in heaven!!!!!
You are one in a million!