By Nathan Rice

We pulled into McDonald’s, and I quickly realized that I must not have been the only one to promise someone his favorite fast food option. The parking lot was so busy I had to park in the back of the lot, the drive through line wrapped around the building, and the travel lane had cars entering and exiting. We exited the car and I had him wait by me as I tried to determine the safest route to the front of the building.

“Here,” I said, “Hold my hand until we get to the door.” The parking lot must have looked a little daunting to him, too, because he quickly grabbed my hand. We made our way through the lanes of traffic and around the parked cars. He held on tightly until we reached the door.

There are times, regardless of age, that we all need a hand to hold. Adults may be able to navigate through a crowded parking lot safely, but some situations may seem as intimidating to us as a busy parking lot does to a child. Unfortunately, many adults are hesitant to ask for help during difficult times or times of uncertainty.

We must be willing to move past the idea that asking for help makes us weak or needy. We often defiantly declare that we can do anything on our own, and we ignore all the hands reaching out to help us along the way. We must realize that it is OK for us to “hold the hand” of someone who can help us navigate through life’s difficult situations.

It is important, though, for us to know who we are allowing to help. I believe, and hope, he would not have grabbed the hand of anyone who happened to be walking by in the parking lot. He grabbed my hand because I have proven myself trustworthy to him over the years, and he knew I would do all I could to guide him safely. When we are brave enough to ask for help in certain situations, we have to be careful whose hand we choose to hold. There will certainly be those willing to help who have our best interest at heart, but there may also be some who have other intentions. Carefully choose who is allowed to lead.

We should also be learning as we allow others to guide us through an unfamiliar or difficult part of life. In the McDonald’s parking lot I made sure we stopped anywhere cars might be traveling, looked both ways before proceeding, and even watch for taillights of cars that might be backing up. Once he learns these things and is mature enough to do them on his own, he will no longer need to hold a hand while going through that parking lot. One day, he may even be the one holding a little hand. He will grow and learn. We should do the same so one day we can be the one offering a hand to hold.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. Just make sure the hand you reach up to hold is one that will lead you in the right direction, and be sure to learn as you go so you can one day offer your hand to those who need some guidance.

Nathan Rice is a Hampton Roads native and can be reached at nrice@abnb.org.