There is no real going back. Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest? — The Return of the King

My Take – It’s been 25 years this Halloween since I was last in North Dakota.  I have an image in my mind of what Grand Forks and Minot looked like on that day, and that’s the image I will probably always have.  But the small towns and cities I grew up in are long gone, and so is the boy I was then.  When I do go back, even if my hopes to someday live there again come true, I will come as almost a stranger.  No matter how many of my relatives live there and how many places I can look at and say “I remember this”, I will not be a true native anymore.

Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you! – Sam — The Return of the King

My Take – We can’t take over and solve our friends’ problems, but we can be there to be what they use to hold themselves up.  When you let someone lean on you, you pay back all of the people who have supported you when you needed it.

Many are the strange chances of the world… and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter. ~The Silmarillion

My Take – If you are relying on the strong person to be there to aid or protect you in time of need, you can be assured that the world will fall in on you when you are alone.  You, and you alone, are responsible for you.  No matter your circumstances or beliefs, you have something to contribute, most of all in your own life.  History is full of stories where a small action made by a nameless person turned the course of history on a dime.  The same can happen in a personal history.  The choice of whether or not to do the small things in your life can lead to your ability to deal with the big things that are thrown at you.