"It’s really not a problem that someone needs to be saved. Everyone needs help. It’s hard to be the person who makes trouble, but the thing is, everyone makes trouble. How would we help anyone if nobody ever needed help?"

This quote hits me on a deeper level because it’s not just about adventure or heroics — it’s about what it means to be human. Everyone struggles, everyone stumbles, and everyone causes problems sometimes. And needing help isn’t a flaw; it’s a part of life.

I love how the book frames this truth: strength doesn’t come from never needing assistance, it comes from how we navigate that need. Asking for help doesn’t make Tress, or anyone, less capable — it makes her real, relatable, and ultimately stronger. There’s a profound freedom in admitting that you can’t do everything alone, and in trusting others enough to let them stand beside you.

In a world that often equates independence with worth, this feels radical. Help isn’t weakness. Vulnerability isn’t failure. Being the person who receives help doesn’t erase your courage or your agency — it amplifies it, because courage isn’t measured by how much you endure alone, but by how openly you engage with life, even when it’s messy.

This message is quietly revolutionary: our need for others is not shameful; it’s the heartbeat of connection, growth, and true heroism.