Jennifer Wallace

Friends are the oxygen.

We need one or two or three people in our lives who know us intimately, who can see when we are struggling, and who will reach over and put that oxygen mask on for us.

That is a very different level of support than we normalize in our busy culture today.

But here's how I've come to look at it.

When I don't reach out for help, not only do I deny myself the support I need, I also deny my friend the chance of being a helper, of feeling needed, like she matters to me.

So the next time you hesitate, I hope you'll remember this.

Asking for help isn't weak.

It is an act of generosity.

Now, to matter, it is a very personal experience, but it's also relational, and it has the power to connect our disconnected world.

A wonderful example of this is taking place at the Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo, where they have instituted slow checkout lanes where the cashiers take extra time to chat, especially with elderly customers.

Amazing, right?

This simple fix for loneliness has now been rolled out in nearly 200 locations.

The lesson for us?

We don't need to build new spaces to unlock each other's mattering.

We just need to be more intentional about the spaces we already have.

Once you see the world through the lens of mattering, you can't unsee it.

It may even start to feel like a responsibility.

It has for me.

It has changed how I show up now for my family, my friends, my colleagues, even strangers I meet on the street.

Affirming each other's worth, it's not just the right thing to do, it is the glue that holds a healthy society together, and we need this now more than ever.