“If you cannot lift the load off another’s back, do not walk away. Try to lighten it.” –Frank Tyger
Everyone needs help at times, no matter how strong they think they are. There will be times in the lives of each and every one of us when we cannot carry our burdens alone. So when we see others carrying heavy burdens, we should do what we can to help lighten their load. We cannot justify doing nothing by using the excuse that another person’s problems are too big for us to solve. In most cases, we cannot solve the problems of others, but we can ease their pain.
We also cannot use the excuse that it is someone else’s responsibility to care for a certain person to justify not doing whatever we can to help. Several years ago, a very good friend of mine became aware that an elderly man in his neighborhood, whom we will call Mr. Lowell, was alone and almost without any support or caring from others. Although Mr. Lowell had a son and two adult grandsons living in the community, they rarely visited him or did anything to lighten his burdens. Because of family disagreements in the distant past, the relatives had essentially broken off all relations with Mr. Lowell, and nobody else had come forth to fill the void.
My friend, his wife and children chose to fill that void. They became Mr. Lowell’s family, and they were the kind of family to him that most people can only dream of. A strong bond soon developed between Mr. Lowell and all members of the family, and my friend’s children became like grandchildren to him. The family encouraged Mr. Lowell to attend church with them, and once he began to do so, a whole new world opened up to him. He became a member of an adult Sunday School class through which he made many new friends who gave him support and help.
Had it not been for the generosity and love of my friend and his family, Mr. Lowell would have probably died an early death as a very lonely and unhappy man. Instead, his last ten years were probably the richest and happiest years of this fine gentleman’s entire life. I would probably have never met and become well acquainted with Mr. Lowell if it had not been for my friend. The same is true of many others who became a part of Mr. Lowell’s life during his last years, and it would have been a loss for all of us.
There are potential Mr. Lowells in all our lives. There is so much we can do to lighten the load of others, and when we do we bring increased happiness to ourselves. In the words of Sir James Barrie, “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”
Think about it.
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Copyright 2026
Allen W. Smith
