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Fuel for energy-zapping existence is knowing there’s a source for all you need to carry you through. At the dawning of a new day, strength for the day can confidently be refueled by the idiom “You’re in good hands.” 

A Friend to Lend Support

If you’ve ever been zapped—depleted even before the ever day started—then you know what it’s like to need refueling.

Recently, I was way out of my comfort zone, escorting my eleven-year-old granddaughter on a 3-day volleyball tournament in downtown Washington, D.C.

The responsibly of a grandchild — and I should emphasize a GRAND child — is not one to be taken lightly.

As a visitor to the big city, I found as the day for the tourney approached, that I and my granddaughter were covered for the logistics of getting to the event because a friend lent her support. Ultimately, she drove, she parked, she navigated. She had us in good hands.

A Friend to Show the Way

Not wanting to admit I had a torn meniscus or that I was due a knee replacement, I was too proud not to climb the stairs or ask where the elevator might be. But I did demonstrate that with a friend showing the way through uncharted territory of the world of volleyball tournaments, I was essentially refueled by her presence. 

With few chances to be with my granddaughter, I was not going to use them up, being a slug. I waltzed into the enormous venue like everyone else, smuggling snacks inside my bag, fraternized with the opponents for a time, then settled in, eating overpriced subs, sitting for hours, cheering, yelling, and videoing my granddaughter’s amazing moves on the court—the usual. 

I learned to be a volleyball fan. I was fueled. A friend showed me the way.

A Friend to Stand in the Gap 

When the worst thing that happened was my Yeti thermos leaking on my fig newtons, I had to recognize I was in good hands. In other hands, I could have been circling Washington, D.C. in a quandary long after the time for the games to begin. 

It’s sometimes a small thing to stand in the gap, but a friend is one who sees the need, offers the ride, and puts you in good hands.

Flying balls—maverick volleyballs!—bare legs, smuggled food, videos to the parents, cheers and smiles, spilled tea, freezing temperatures, lost games. Tears.

Lost games are worse than spilled tea, but at the end of the day there’s strength for the next. Oftentimes it’s due purely to the fact that friends are there for us, standing in the gap to refuel, refresh, and refill us. 

Are you in good hands?

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