This is Digby Pancake. Do you know a lot? Like my brother Peanut Butter Brickle? How much do you think that you know?
Last week when we were outside and watching someone try to back up their trailer in a campsite, I wondered why Boy Person wasn’t helping them. There they were, pulling up, backing up, getting out of their truck, figuring all the stuff out. And they were taking a very long time of it.
Girl Person asked Boy Person if they should help them. And although Boy Person wanted to help, he also didn’t want them to feel bad. Or think that we were trying to tell them what to do. He wanted to give them the chance to be successful. And although it took a little longer, they eventually were successful. And they were very proud that they could do it.
Do we do that for others? It’s easy to think that we know more than others. But just because we do something different doesn’t make our way better. It is always nice to help, but not to boss around.
I really enjoyed watching the people trying to park their trailer. I liked how they tried to work together. I liked the fact that it was a new experience to them and that they were making memories.
If we would have interfered from the start, maybe those memories wouldn’t have been the same.
There is a fine line between helping someone and taking over. Let others feel valuable. And if they ask for your help, make sure they know how to do it the next time.
-Digby Pancake
