The other day I went for a walk. While walking, I noticed a line of ants crossing the sidewalk in front of me. I stopped to watch.
There were hundreds of them. All in a single line walking from one side of the sidewalk to the other. I don’t know where they were going or where they started, but they seemed to be walking with a purpose.
As I was watching, I noticed one ant carrying a leaf. And then I noticed another. And then another.
The ants carrying the leaves were walking the same direction, and seemed to be keeping up, but the longer I watched, the more I noticed they were walking a little slower than the others.
I don’t know much about ants and I have no idea how they decided which ants have to carry leaves and which got to walk unencumbered.
All I noticed was that some ants were walking peacefully while others were carrying a heavy burden.
And it reminded me a little bit about life.
Sometimes we walk peacefully. But other times, life requires heavy lifting.
There are some seasons in life where the path is easy and the burdens are light. Health is good, money is in the bank, relationships are healthy, and our habits are serving us.
But there are other seasons where the burden is heavy. Our kids are making unwise choices, employment is hard to find, our physical body is failing, our closest relationships are turning against us, bad news continues to mount with no end in sight.
We look around and everyone else seems to be fine, unencumbered, enjoying their path through life, celebrating successes. But we’re stuck carrying this heavy leaf. We’re trying our hardest to keep up, but the burden of this season is heavy, and we feel like we’re falling behind.
Meanwhile, nobody seems to notice.
I wish I had the words to take it all away for you. But I do not. There are helpful steps to take certainly: talk to someone who has experienced what you are experiencing, rely on others, accept help when offered, remove competing distractions, remember that seasons change, and turn to your faith are such examples. But those words only do so much good.
Instead, I’d like to challenge everyone else—those of you rushing swiftly, from one point to another unburdened, without a leaf.
Take time to notice those with heavy burdens.
There is a temptation when our burden is light to not notice the heavy lifting being done by others. Or to assume that we have somehow accomplished something impressive on our own. But many times, those with the heaviest burdens are the ones serving society the greatest.
As the old adage goes, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Today, and even more as we enter the holiday season, look closer at your fellow travelers. And let’s be quick to offer a kind word, a helping hand, or a meaningful gift. Some have been carrying that leaf quite a distance.
Kamala says
Dear Joshua,
From the time this post came to me via email, I have read and re-read it multiple times. I let these beautiful words and the powerful message get into my bones. Currently I am an ant carrying a leaf, albeit, a lighter one. And I am going to keep an eye out for all those ants with heavier leaves near me. If I am unable to shoulder their burden, I will atleast make sure to cheer them on and offer some encouragement.
I have copied down this message, word by word, in my journal. Thank you so much for this Joshua.
Dawn F says
Thank you for always inspiring your readers, reminds me the the old saying, don’t judge a man (person) until you walk a mile in his (their) shoes. Very timely piece, peace to all this season!
Barbara Mossbarger says
Loved reading this article today. Very inspiring and helpful to any that may be struggling. Thank you..
Miriam says
This was a beautiful and very real piece.
My husband just lost his father and it’s very hard for him to fathom how he’ll go on. It helps to put things into perspective.
It was my favourite article from all ur email.
It felt raw and real!
Thank u!
Dio says
Thanks for sharing this.
Amboyer Claudia says
Thank you for your articles that are so uplifting as well as inspiring.
Verity Cushing says
I really appreciated this article today. Thank you for writing it!
Isobel says
Thank you for sharing this today. It was very timely for me and a great reminder about burdens to take into the end of the year, when so many are struggling.
Lauren Roberts says
I just read this now at 2:21 pm on Monday, November 15. But I am honored to say that this morning I did something I hope was a helping hand, and I did it because I love doing things like this.
The community college where I work in the adult ed division has been utilizing temp workers during this time to get every person who comes on the various campuses to fill out their healthy roster and hand out wristbands. The one we have, a lovely woman named Sherry, is new to our area and, I suspect, is struggling with money. So today I brought her a lovely Trader Joe’s short ribs dinner and a turkey pot pie dinner, both in their “homemade” section. We are keeping them in our refrigerator until she is ready to leave. (No one except my boss knows.) I feel so good and I hope she loves the food.
Vicky says
Thank you for this article, which came at a perfect time. Much appreciated!
Vicky