What’s In Your Wheelbarrow?
Everyone has a wheelbarrow
and, be big or small,
the largest load that it can hold
is three—and that is all.
“This one is my grief.
This one is my fear.
This one obligations
for the burdens that I bear.”
You can’t see what they’re pushing,
but they’re heaving, come what may.
And though you may not notice,
some are close to giving way.
So the next time that you greet someone,
instead of, “How are you?”
Ask, “What’s in your wheelbarrow?”
and watch what that can do.
Author’s Notes:
The “emotional wheelbarrow” has long been a personal theory of mine. As a husband and parent, I’ve seen it so many times in my loved ones.
We can usually tell when another person has reached their point of overwhelmed. I’ve noticed that when I ask people to list off what’s troubling them, their list includes something much larger than what I’ve realized they were carrying.
Under normal circumstances, they have the strength the bear with their daily stresses and challenges. But then something hits that topples that wheelbarrow and everything comes spilling out.
Usually, people seem to be able to push around 3 significant stresses that are looming in their life. But once that 4th one hits, it’s just too much.
I’ve learned we can’t push other people’s wheelbarrows for them. But we can notice when things have toppled. We can listen as they tell us of each item they are pushing. We can sometimes lighten the load by taking on a task.
That may be enough to help someone through a difficult time.
So at our house, “What’s in your wheelbarrow?” has become the relational short hand for, “I can see that you’re overwhelmed. Wanna unload a little bit?”
