The Beauty Of Being NEEDED
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Are you subscribed to The Classically Abby Podcast? Episode 7, “The Girl Named Blake On The Struggles Of Faith, Mental Health, And Politics” is out now! Watch it on YouTube and listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
ANNOUNCING: This Month's Book Club Selection!
This month we are reading fiction (we switch up month-to-month), and we discussed reading something on the lighter side. The book we will be reading is…The Midnight Library! I can’t wait to discuss it with you all.
Mark Your Calendar!
March 15, 2023 at 8:15 PM EST: Book Club
What You Might Have Missed At Classically Abby…
Quote of the Week:
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”- Joseph Campbell
Classic Style Inspo
This peplum blazer and flowy skirt combo is EVERYTHING. Plus, that scarf? The epitome of classic and feminine! If you’re looking for some beautiful style inspo - this picture is IT!
Things I’ve Been Loving: In-Drawer Knife Block
I used to have a knife block on my counter, but I didn’t like crowding up my counter space with another item. Instead, I decided to put my knives in a drawer and this in-drawer knife block was the perfect solution! There are a bunch of different sizes, so measure your drawer before you order one. But this has been a gamechanger!
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I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
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The Beauty Of Being NEEDED
Hello classic crew and happy Thursday! Welcome to another edition of my newsletter. I hope you all are doing fantastic! We are heading into March which is a super busy month because there are so many birthdays in my family! First, we have Jacob’s birthday. We’re planning a board game extravaganza with friends, as well as multiple other events to celebrate with family. Then, it’s Mr. Baby’s FIRST BIRTHDAY - can you believe it? I am SO excited to throw his birthday party. I’ve been planning it for a few months, so it should be really special.
On top of everyone’s birthdays, the Jewish holiday of Purim is in a couple of weeks, so we are looking forward to dressing up and hearing the story of Esther. Jacob and I will be re-wearing the costumes we wore to the Renaissance Faire and going as Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and Mr. Baby will be Little John! This is Mr. Baby’s first Purim, so I want to make it one we will remember. One of the ways we celebrate Purim is giving out food baskets to friends in our community, so today I went with my son to the Dollar Tree and picked out a bunch of fun items. Then I wrote a themed letter to tie everything together - would you all be interested in me sharing it? It’s pretty funny! Let me know in the comments below.
In today’s article, I wanted to talk about the beauty of being needed. This week has been pretty hectic for me. A friend of ours had a family emergency, so we were asked to help. Another friend had birthday plans that fell through, so I decided to plan her a surprise party at the last minute. Then, because it’s a surprise, she invited me on her actual birthday to go to lunch with her to celebrate, which meant I had to reschedule my day so that I could be there for her (which was absolutely lovely, but slightly stressful). And this was all on top of my normal work hours, taking care of my son, a long appointment I had scheduled yesterday, and household chores. Every routine I’ve had, every task I’ve wanted to get done, has gone out the window so that I can help the people I care about.
Despite feeling stretched thin and a little chaotic, I can’t help but be grateful. What is more important than helping the people we love, and being in a position to help? I could view all of this as a burden. “Now everything is out of whack because everyone needs me, and I can’t get anything done that I want to do!” But that is absolutely the wrong perspective.
I moved to a Jewish community so that I could be there for people and so that people could be there for me. Knowing that other people trust me enough to depend on me, that I’ve made a strong enough impression in such a short amount of time that people want to call on me for support, is such a huge blessing. I can’t believe that I am lucky enough to have the capability to be helpful and the flexibility to be there for my friends. All I keep thinking to myself is: This is what life is all about. This is the stuff life is made of. All my little tasks, all my emails left unanswered and Instagram stories left unposted - I won’t remember any of that in five years. But I will remember being there for others. And more than that? Others will remember I was there for them.
Being needed gives us meaning and purpose. There’s a reason that being a parent is so deeply fulfilling - you become necessary to another person. You’re not just fun to have around - you are absolutely essential to your child’s survival. Now, as a friend, you are often in the position of being a fun companion. But in those moments where you are truly needed - whether that be a deep conversation, a shoulder to cry on, or an errand that must be run - you can feel your purpose well up within you. You are meant to be here, on this earth, right now, with these people. You are necessary to them. And you are doing good - deep, true good - by helping them out.
Now, this doesn’t mean you can never say no when someone asks for help. You can’t be helpful to anyone if you are completely overwhelmed. But the next time you feel pulled in too many directions, take a moment. Yes, you can feel tired or stressed or stretched thin. But at the same time, be grateful. Because there is nothing better than knowing someone trusts you enough to depend on you in a real way.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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I truly believe that women heal best when we are *needed*, and I've thought so for a long time. I've always found that I can think more clearly, be more thoughtful, and process problems more easily when I'm helping others and I'm able to be there for others, instead of focusing on myself. Becoming overwhelmed is not fun, but as social animals, we absolutely need to be able to help and be helped, or we call apart.