Help!

Do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as
possible.
-Charles Dickens

Friday night I had just laid down to go to sleep at around 11:45. I had a headache, and I thought that I just needed a bit of sleep. Not long after I laid down, my gas alarm in the kitchen began to sound. I hopped out of bed to discover that my headache was worse, I was a bit dizzy, and I was also slightly disoriented. I clumsily made my way to the kitchen and living room to open the doors to my balcony. It was a bit chilly so I grabbed the nearest jacket I could find and my cell phone and then headed out to sit on the balcony for some fresh air. Once I was breathing in some fresh air I immediately began to feel better. While I sat there I realized how incredibly lucky I had been. The stumbling around my apartment, and trying to think of what to do, led to me thinking about what could have happened...I don't want to be overly dramatic, but death crossed my mind. Through tears and deep breathing of fresh air, I called my friends in my neighborhood hoping someone would answer even though it was midnight. I didn't get an answer on the first couple of tries so I decided to call my counterpart. She took charge! She told me to call my friend Dana's mom, Doina, and to ask if I could stay with her. I have many mothers/grandmothers here in Tarnaveni, and she is one of them. Doina made me some tea and rubbed my back while I tried to make my crying desist. I am currently getting the gas leak in my apartment fixed, and I'm feeling just fine

Lesson Learned:
It's a lesson I've learned before, but somehow I always seem to forget it
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET OTHERS HELP YOU! SOMETIMES YOU NEED OTHER PEOPLE'S HELP
Peace Corps Volunteers, me included, are often independent people who like to take care of things on their own. We like to do as much good as we can without making too much of a fuss, which is why I often think about the Charles Dickens quotation I included above. I sat on my balcony, still feeling a little panicky about the situation, I was thinking of what to do. Do I really need to call people for help? Can I handle this myself? Do I want to let people see me cry? What if I would have passed out??? All of these things ran through my mind. I decided to make the phone call, and what I've been blessed with since is an outpouring of concern and love! It's a humbling experience to face something out of your control, to deal with a life threatening situation, to simply ask for help.... I'm glad I called. I did exactly as I should in the situation, and I can take care of myself; but that doesn't mean I don't need the help of others. It is not weak to ask for help...sometimes it can be empowering to the other person when you ask for their help, and sometimes it can be a comfort and pleasant surprise of how much you are loved.