Got it?

Last week, a few of my colleagues were talking about a work project that just kept hitting walls—little ones, big ones, sometimes confusing ones.

When we finish it, we joked, we will have to celebrate. I love marking small wins. When we finally get through it, I said, I’ll treat everyone to coffee.

We managed to cross it off the list this week, so this morning, I texted my coworkers offering to pick up coffee on my way to the office. The happy replies made me feel like a hero.

At the coffee shop, I carefully but confidently placed our orders—sizes, types of cream, sugar, and flavoring, hot or cold—thinking how personal a cup of coffee can be.

When the drinks were ready, I reached up to lift the cups down, and the customer standing next to me glanced at me and said, “Got it?”

There was something about the way he said it that made me pause. Suddenly, I felt seen and noticed—and maybe a little bit vulnerable. I couldn’t even find my voice to answer him. I was so taken aback by how rarely I hear that simple question. As winter and the pandemic march on, we are all just so depleted. So worn down. So tired. But we just keep going.

In that moment, it was as if someone was recognizing that I am carrying too much—that I have been carrying too much for too long. It was as if he saw that this might be one more task that I simply couldn’t take on at this time. He saw me. And he didn’t assume that I could handle it without assistance.

I don’t know why that touched me so deeply. Maybe it’s because it’s become so important to me to see others around me—especially strangers—in this pandemic. I’ve found such meaning in connecting with people, even those I couldn’t get to know during a time when we were shut out and away from one another.

Maybe it’s because it brought back a rush of thoughtful moments I’ve experienced lately. How my husband regularly calls on his way home to say he’ll stop and pick up dinner so I don’t need to cook. How my teenager comes to greet me and offers to carry the groceries in from the car. How yesterday a friend asked me how I am doing, and I found myself skipping “fine” and answering fully, deeply, honestly.

We aren’t on this journey alone. We are walking this path together—with God and with each other. It’s important to recognize that others need us. And it’s also all right to acknowledge that we might need help ourselves.

I managed to deliver the coffee without any spills or issues. The day continued on a positive, well-caffeinated path. But my mind has gone back to that kind man several times.

Got it? Maybe you’re handling everything fine. But it’s OK to acknowledge that you might not be. It’s all right for us to recognize that we might need a little help. Or maybe just an extra cup of coffee.

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