Angela Diep

Christy Kingham

ELA

October 20, 2014

It’s Alright to Ask for Help

“Learn by yourself,” said a relative of mine. A thirty year old man telling a seven year old child this is probably one of the most strict things he can do to a kid, especially since he’s usually a very generous man. All my life, I was trained to be independent, to go through all obstacles and circumstances by myself without any assistance. It was like an unspoken rule that I had to obey. My daily life mainly consisted of doing almost everything alone. Even if I had friends, I did all of my work alone. However, I knew there would soon be consequences to that, and they did eventually come.

It was a breezy spring afternoon with just the right amount of sunshine and clouds. Albeit I was extremely tired due to my lack of sleep and the amount of physical activity I had to do during gym class, the breeze that flew through the windows was tranquility to me. However, my moment of relaxation got disrupted by shortness of breath, excruciating chest pain, and sudden dizziness. At first, I thought this downgrade of my health would only be temporary, but it wasn’t. The more I ignored it and lied to myself about its severity, the more frequently it happened. Once a week turned into once a day, and then thrice a day. Then one day, I had no energy left to hide the pain from everyone around me. I did not ask for help, though.

The words “be independent” endlessly looped over and over in my head as I clenched onto my chest while kneeling on the floor, trying to gasp for air. I felt my strength gradually slipping away from my body, and my vision started to blur. At that moment, I decided to break the independence rule and ask the school nurse for help. I’m glad I asked her that time. The feeling of having someone by your side to guide you through all your problems was so calming and joyful to me that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

I now believe in the idea that it’s alright to ask for help. Is it a sign of weakness? In a sense, yes. It’s also a sign of overcoming an obstacle, though. Asking for assistance is a sign of one striving to become better. It’s also a lifesaver because, “Can you help me?” saved me from another day of being bedridden in a hospital, which I was starting to get tired of. Plus, another visit to the hospital means more medical bills draining money out of my parents’ pockets. When in dire situations, let go of your pride. Forget about what others will say about you. It’s better to be called a wimp and receive support from others to prove otherwise than to tire yourself out till you cannot move a finger anymore.