the non-emergency, emergency

This week, I found myself in a situation that I couldn’t make sense of.

I walked into Walgreens on Wednesday night to grab something quick, and as I crossed into the building, I immediately saw someone lying on the ground next to their walker.

I scanned up to see the cashier standing behind the register. In my mind, I was expecting him to be on the phone calling for help, but he wasn’t. I said, “Are you OK? Do you want me to call for help?” “No,” he said. “I called the non-emergency number, and my manager is on their way up to the front.”

“Huh?”, I thought.

Meanwhile, there’s a human being lying on the floor, not moving, totally unresponsive and NO ONE tending.

I continued to ask questions. I could not understand how this was all being handled. He assured me that everything was being taken care of.

I walked out and got into my car. My mind was telling me, 'they are handling it,' but my heart could not drive off. I picked up my phone and called 911… the real number, the one you call when you need help.

I have no idea how this story ended. In my mind, it rightfully ends with a person in need, getting help.

As I reflected on this moment, there were so many things that came up. But my reason for sharing is, I think we sometimes forget in the busyness of being human that our hearts are way more reliable than our heads.

We pain and strain to find solutions to all the problems. We overthink, stress, and burn out. We ignore every warning sign our bodies send, and we just plow forward, hoping something gives.

What if the emergency in our life is really an invitation to emerge and see? What if instead we could quiet ourselves and listen to our own intuition at a deeper level?

Your heart knows the way; there’s just a good chance you forgot to check there.

Are you calling for the right help, and do the people around you know what you need?

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, may you take a moment to consider what is trying to emerge in you, and give yourself the time you crave to really see it.

You are worth it. Be well!

TKM~