The offer, the reality
It’s a common question in situations such as the one I found myself in.
People desperately want to help. The problem is that they can’t know what’s appropriate to offer proactively, so asking what they can do in a generic sense is the only real alternative they have. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help” is a common equivalent.
Now, to be clear, the sentiment is deeply appreciated; truly. I’ve remarked on how just knowing that there are people who would drop everything to render aid or solve a problem at a moment’s notice is incredibly comforting. It really does remove a level of stress, even if that aid is never called into action.
There’s something simple that also renders incredible value, and yet it’s something that, for reasons I can’t quite fathom, seems the most difficult thing to offer at all.
