by Aerynne Aiudi

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 22, 2008

Strength. What comes to mind when that word is mentioned? An Arnold Schwarzenegger like body builder, muscles bulging, rippling and glistening oily in the glare of the stage lights?

A single mother, commonly an ethnic, with 3 children falling in line behind her as they all make their way up a steep snow covered hill, Mama loaded down with the only groceries she could afford, PopTarts, peanut butter and chocolate milk among other items? Strength is found in the decrepit old janitor, making his way through the darkened school hallway after everyone else has left, sturdy wooden mop and bucket conveniently parked down the shadowy corridor while he makes his way tiredly but determinedly from one end of the floor length to the other just like he's done for the past 30 years. Strength. The mother who is told her son's car accident was much more serious than any of the doctors had realized, holding onto hope, refusing to give up her battered but soul deep faith that her son will walk,talk and wake up to smile at her once again. Nails bitten ragged from anxiety. Eyes no longer able to cry real tears. Face set as flint as the prayer vigils begin. Strength, from man, from God, whichever way you slice it, strength comes in all forms, shapes, sizes, sexes and colors.

It takes strength to give up a child for adoption because to keep him or her would only be damning them to the hell of poverty that you grew up in and have tried to escape, but the fates or the devil, take your pick, just seem to constantly be against you. Strength. To come back from a major suicide attempt as the despair of loneliness threatens to envelop you within its cloying confines of evil. Strength. To go back into that wretched filthy housing project filled with pitiful people who have created a world of their own; a world of drug addiction, alcoholism, hopelessness and discouragement. Because of you, and solely because of you, the children smile at least once a week while you're there. Some of them sing their favorite songs, bump and grind material these days, but hey, at least they're singing! Some of them come out of their prisons of shyness and take your hand or touch your hair, their brief and tender acts of momentary boldness breaking your heart! You try not to cry in front of them because they would take your tears to mean they did something wrong and the spell of love and closeness between you all would be broken! Strength! Put on the brave face for the children's sake! They see so much sadness, anger and dysfunction already! Strength! Suck it up, girl! Strength. Realizing that your brand of selfless and passionate love for all people just doesn't fit in the dog eat dog day to day existence, and you're only able to stay in a job for, at most 6 months, because the jealousy of other people consistenly is displayed and you're out the door again! Strength that sees you keep trying, knowing you're different and will never fit into the major scheme of things because of the narrowmindedness of others, but you keep getting back up and trying again! Like a Weeble, with each attempt you wobble, but you don't fall down! Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes every 500 years, like Mount Vesuvius or Mount Olympus, which lie dormant for centuries, their quiet strength looming over the whole community, until one day....Strength! Faith, love, peace, joy, gentleness, self control, patience, kindness....the key ingredients of strength. Where would we be without it?

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