The stooped, elderly man in front of us dragged his luggage behind him, the weight too much for him to lift. He struggled to keep his head up to navigate the airport line, while also trying to keep the bags from flipping.
We were in Quito on our way home from visiting the Ecuadorian Amazon, surrounded by a mix of tourists and locals. From the size of his suitcases and the anxious expression on his wrinkled face, it looked like the man had a significant journey ahead of him.
I took one of the bags my husband was pulling so that he could offer the man help. International body language bridged the spoken language divide, both for my husband’s offer to carry the larger suitcase to the ticket counter and the man’s gratitude.
His second piece of luggage was a smaller duffel. The man was barely five feet tall, making it next to impossible for him to keep it lifted off the ground. I watched as the bag scraped the floor, worried that the friction would create a hole in the fabric.
Wishing the bag was designed better for its carrier, upon closer observation I noticed that it did, indeed, have a pair of recessed wheels. And was that fold of fabric on the other end of the duffel hiding something? Yes! A pull out handle! I got the man’s attention and showed him how to extend the handle and use the wheels. His face lit up with delight, relief, and, again, gratitude.
A Symbolic Reminder
This interaction happened over a year ago. I have circled back to the memory time and time again when friends, family, and strangers have needed just a little bit of support to regain their footing.
With so many people facing uncertainty, bumps and potholes on their path these days, I will be paying closer attention than ever to how I can help folks find their wheels. Stay tuned for further reflections on this topic in the weeks ahead, both from my own life experience and stories of other inspiring helpers I’ve had the privilege of meeting.
How about you? What’s a scene from your own life when you helped someone find their wheels? What did that feel like? And if you realize that you’re too emotionally exhausted to look outward, what sources of friction or constriction are getting in the way of how you’d like to show up in your life?
I’d love to hear your story. Share in the comments or shoot me an email at martha@damselwings.com to tell me about it.
