Recently I bought a new workout bra.  The last two, ages 10 and 12 respectively, had lost their youthful elasticity and therefore usefulness. They were put out to pasture.

A new one was commissioned into service. Slightly fancier, this one has a front zipper making it easier to get into than some of its irritating counterparts that require contortionist skills get into.  Underneath the zipper was one hook and eyelet presumably providing “security” if the zipper gave out. Not sure this is an effective safety measure since if the whole zipper were to give and that 1/16 inch of wire was still holding, it would still be quite a show. That hook feels about as effective at security as the extra strap on a bungy jumping harness or the reminder to tuck into a ball when a plane is crashing. If the system is going to fail, it will no doubt be 100% catastrophic. 

The hook wasn’t the whole problem. The problem was the distance between my eyes and the hook . It appears I am aging, a happy thought since the alternative is less productive. However, my eyes couldn’t focus on the impossible tiny loop to put the hook into because it was too close and my bifocals weren’t within reach. After many failed attempts to lasso the hook and after I quit cussing I decided I was probably to old to work out after all. Who needs a gym? Hell, I worked up a sweat during this ordeal anyway! My next thought was that maybe I should just suspend all activities that required traction devices until the girls drifted further south where I could actually focus on anything meant to hold them together. Sucks to need support.

However, support is crucial. Fact of life. Whether leading a life of normalcy and relative peace or one of chaos and tragedy everybody needs a community around them to support them. It takes intentionality to build and maintain relationships. Sometimes the process is exhausting. But the return on investment is well worth the investment of time. When tragedy or hardship comes into our lives, as it does in every life, the lifeline is the network of friends and loved ones that you can depend on.

So, lean in. Make an effort and begin the process of creating a network that can be your life saving safety net when you need one.