I tend to walk around like the kind of woman who doesn’t ask for help. It’s a sad pride thing on my part to think I can handle whatever comes my way in life. I’m thankful this week that others around me noticed I’d bitten off far more than I could chew.

My husband and youngest child took off for the farm, leaving me behind with our foreign exchange student so he could play in a soccer tournament. About halfway through the tournament, I got text from my husband saying he needed some missing supplies picked up for the pump house they were building out on the farm. Leaving my foreign exchange student, I went to the building supply store to get the needed items. I know what OSB is and the siding they were using, so I sauntered over the right aisle with no issue. What I failed to realize was how heavy to actual stuff was until I started to try and lift it on my own. Yeah, remember I’m not really good at asking for help. But it didn’t matter, a man’s voice behind me says, “Can I help you?”

I give up trying to finagle the awkward piece on my own and turn to this stranger with a grateful smile. “Actually, yes, I do need help.”

Once we get all the pieces loaded on my cart, I, like the stubborn ninny I am, tell him I’ll be fine and he can go back to doing his own shopping.

When I get to my truck it takes a lot of heaving to slide the first piece free and load it into the back. I turn around to do the next piece and there stands a different man.

“Can I load those into your truck for you?”

That first piece was so hard on me, I didn’t even try to lie and say I was fine. “I would be so thankful if you could.”

Slick as snot, he had the rest of the pieces loaded, and he did it all by himself. He made them look like they didn’t weigh more than a foam board. Yeah, my inner self was cursing my girly arms and strength, but how grateful am I for chivalry. I know a lot of women think it’s passé to have a strong man around, but heaven help us if they really do disappear completely. And though I’m still the kind of girl who likes to do things on her own, it’s nice to know that it doesn’t mean I always have to.