The Stairs

The first time Bailey’s hind legs gave out, it happened without warning.

She was halfway up the stairs, tail wagging, excitement in every step. Then suddenly—quietly—her legs slipped out from beneath her. Lyme disease had weakened her muscles long before she became ours, and now her body was gently reminding her of those old battles.

Her ears drooped. She looked over her shoulder, eyes wide—not scared, just confused. Like she was trying to make sense of what her body had just done.

And then, she looked at me.

There was no panic in her eyes, no shame—just this quiet, steady trust. As if to say:

"I don’t know what to do right now. But I know you’re here."

She didn’t need me to scoop her up.

She didn’t need rescuing.

She just needed a little push.

Just a little help getting going again.

And that’s what I gave her.

She steadied herself. Took a breath. And then, just like that, she was off again—nose to the ground, back on the trail of whatever snack might have been waiting.

But something shifted in me.

In that brief moment—so ordinary it would’ve been easy to miss—Bailey reminded me of a truth I sometimes forget:

We all need a little help sometimes.

Not a grand gesture.

Not a full-on rescue.

Just a small nudge from someone who sees us stuck but not broken.

How often do we convince ourselves we have to figure it all out alone? That to stumble is to fail, and that to ask for help is to be weak?

Bailey didn’t believe that.

She just looked back, and trusted I’d be there.

That trust? That simple, beautiful moment of connection—that’s what gave her the strength to keep climbing.

And maybe that’s what we all need more of.

So if today feels heavy…

If your legs are tired or your heart is worn…

If you’ve made it halfway up your own staircase and suddenly feel like you can’t move another inch…

It’s okay to pause.

It’s okay to look back.

It’s okay to need someone.

You were never meant to do all of this alone.

You don’t have to carry everything by yourself.

You don’t have to pretend you're fine when you're not.

You don’t have to be an island.

Because humans need other humans.

And sometimes, the most courageous thing we can do…

is let someone love us enough to give us that little push forward.