He Said: Health Axiom #5 - Give of Yourself by Accepting from Others

My dear Leslie, I think that you not only stepped out on a ledge but fell over the cliff and landed on your head.  You have to be kidding to say that you give to others by being a willing and happy recipient of their giving. Yes, it is important to be a willing and grateful recipient because it rewards the giver with a sense of meaning and purpose which is good for their physicial and mental well being but give me a break - you have to be a giver at some point to truly get self benefit.  Let me tell you a brief real life example that just happened yesterday.

My mom and dad, who are both 83, live in a retirement community and recently my mom fell and hurt her hip. My dad had to call a life squad to take her to
the emergency room for evaluation.  A concerned neighbor (also of advanced age) came over and insisted that he drive my dad to the hospital to be with my mom even though my dad is fully capable of driving himself.  The neighbor then waited for my mom to be evaluated to see if she would be going back home.  Fortunately there were no fractures, just a painful bruise so the neighbor drove both of them back home and then his wife brought over the proverbial chicken soup for their lunch.  My parents were certainly grateful recipients but Leslie, at some point, YOU have to drive the car and not just be along for the ride and eat the soup!

There are numerous studies documenting the health benefits of helping others - better sense of wellbeing, lower blood pressure and even longer life. Just like you don't need to be a marathoner to exercise, you don't have to be a Mother Theresa protégé to benefit from some self sacrifice and care giving to others.  I wonder what others have experienced in this area.

By the way, I have known Leslie for over 10 years and know that she in fact is not an Ice Princess but a kind, helping person with a wicked sense of humor.  Perhaps she is too modest to talk about her caring side.

Dr. B. Healthy