"What is Strength? by Sarah M.

 

            When one is in a state of weakness, does that automatically mean they lack strength? The answer is no. Society seems to forget the amount of strength individuals put in to get out of a state of weakness. The amount of strength it takes for certain people to keep doing the bare minimum like getting up in the morning exceeds the strength of some bodybuilder. Those who never give up no matter how difficult their situation is are strong because they continue to fight their weaknesses. Sure, there is the simple definition of strength which is being able to physically handle heavy weight. But what about the pressure society tends to put on others who don’t fit into the ‘standards’? What about the consistent pressure and pain one can have in their own head? The strength it takes to handle the weight of that pressure and pain exceeds the strength it takes to perform physically demanding tasks.

            In the U.S. about one in seven children and teenagers suffer from at least one mental health disorder. That’s about 7.7 million children and teens who push to remain well even when everything around them can be affected by their mental health. Strength is the amount of energy and power they put in to handle those effects. Half of those who struggle with mental disorders do not even receive treatment, so just imagine the amount of strength it takes them to simply perform everyday tasks.

            Many different things in one’s life require strength. Those who receive racist or homophobic remarks have strength. Those who work day and night just to provide for their family have strength. Those who live in an abusive household have strength. Those who struggle to love themselves have strength. Those who have been taken advantage of have strength. Those who are afraid to trust others have strength. In my eyes no one is weak.

            I have a 6-year-old cousin who lives in Syria, and every day I admire the amount of strength she has since her whole life has revolved around living in a country at war. When I visited the country, I got to see the amount of pain and suffering families go through just to get through a normal day in their life, especially those in poverty. 10 years of fighting have left 6.6 million internally displaced and 5.6 refugees. To the Syrian government, these people are considered weak. However, it is the complete opposite. These innocent people who have been so negatively affected by the war are the ones with the greatest amount of strength. When a government takes advantage of its power, it is no longer strong just abusive. Syrian citizens, just like my cousin, have the strength to continue living their life no matter how difficult it might be. My grandpa who passed away from heart problems that couldn’t be fixed because of how disadvantaged the Syrian hospitals are continued to use every last bit of his strength to provide for his family. An hour before passing away he told my mom to tell me to continue fighting for what I want no matter how difficult it might be. At that moment I knew I had to continue gaining strength and pushing through life’s obstacles. Strength is used to complete and fight through many different things. That is why every single person possesses strength no matter how weak they may seem or even feel.

 

 

 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strength

 

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/rounds/half-of-us-children-mental-health-disorders-are-not-treated#:~:text=8%3A16%20AM-,Half%20of%20U.S.%20Children%20with%20Mental%20Health%20Disorders%20Are%20Not,rates%20vary%20considerably%20by%20state.

 

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/civil-war-syria