A little help, please . . .

I love to water ski. One of the things I love best about water skiing is that moment when the ski planes out. No longer am I fighting the giant wall of water that keeps me from moving forward. In an instant I am on top of that wall, barely skimming the surface, sliding on glass.

It takes only a little bit of additional force to get from that point of fighting the water to that point of riding atop the water. There can be a struggle up to that point, with a lot of energy spent. But it only takes a little bit extra to push through that final moment of struggle to an easy smooth ride. Without that little bit extra, the struggle will continue, and ultimately there is failure. It took longer for me to learn than it should have. I think I drank most of a lake before I understood that the little extra had to come from the rope, from the boat that was towing me. I could fight as hard as I wanted, but that usually only made the fall more spectacular than it had to be.

There was an older gentlemen on the other side of the highway the other day. He was terribly thin, wearing a backpack, and holding a cane. He was on his hands and knees. He couldn't get up. He would get to one knee with his hands on the ground and slowly begin to rise, then he would wobble for a moment, and then he would fall. People in traffic watched horrified as the old gentlemen kept trying, failing and falling. Time after time the tortured ascent stopped short of standing, and he would have to begin again.

Eventually help did come. It wasn't much help, just a hand gripped firmly and an arm around his back. The man stood up, his back straight, his hips and knees locked. He cautiously took a few steps to assure he was balanced, and walked on.

I wonder how many times we allow failure by not offering that little bit of help that moves folks from struggle to an easier ride? How often we criticize or analyze a "failure" that, except for just the tiniest amount of help, would have been a great success? How often has someone done all they can do and are just waiting for a little more pull from the rope?

I wonder if I refuse to help a fellow human who is struggling, who has failed?

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