Isabelle F., Tower Heights Middle School
Through it All, We Rise Above
Sometimes when we’re faced with hardships, we search for an excuse to give up. Many would try to spend time alone and wait until things get better. Others would try to square their shoulders and carry a burden themselves. Sometimes all that it takes is togetherness to make a real change in not only our own lives, but the people around us who need it the most.
In my community, we were polite to each other, we had some friendships between neighbors, but it was an average connection feeling. After the tornado hit, we changed a lot. The first signs of change were when everyone was banding together. So many people had lost so much and could have never anticipated the town''s outpouring of support and everyone coming together. Neighbors were grabbing rakes and attempting to clean others’ yards at no cost. There were so many smiles and laughs and hugs. At first, it confused me how everyone could be so lighthearted after a tragic event. I thought their kindness and consideration was a mask that covered the pain and suffering they’d experienced.
But it wasn’t a mask. It was a sense of community, helping each other, a superpower I didn''t know human beings truly possessed. Everyone was full of the joy that comes from making someone’s day, the happiness that arrives when you assist those who need it the most. I felt this sense the most when the group of helpers showed up at our house. They didn’t hesitate at the state of the yard; didn’t wait around for more people to show up. They just rose to the challenge as if the disaster had been a promise to make the world better. It seemed like something new had come to my life, with lemonade stands being set up and T-shirts being sold to help make up for the money lost in property damage. I realized that while trees can be knocked down and glass can be shattered, the spirit in humanity stands taller than imaginable in a place where others need the support they can’t grant themselves.
I believe that my town wouldn’t have given so much if the disaster hadn’t happened. Sometimes the worst in the world can bring out the best in us. Although we didn’t have much alone, together we had it all. The fact that everyone was relying on each other and making a difference inspired others to branch out and help as well. Everyone made their own change, and when they merged, the entire town had become like a family. It felt like we were all apart of something bigger.
I would not be the same without the experience of togetherness that I lived. I now know that the heroism depicted in the movies is not fake; it’s a special part of us that only appears when we leap to the aid of others who need it. I hope that this part of me stays alive for the rest of my life.
