Community

Yesterday I was reminded of one of the reasons that I LOVE living in a small town.

We were in class, in the middle of a typical school day, when one of my students was called to the office. They had come to pick him up because his house had burned to the ground. He and his family lost everything, including the family pet.

There are three children in high school, the eighth grade boy, a junior girl, and a senior girl. The senior girl is on the track and cross country teams with my daughter. (More about that later.)

As soon as word started spreading about the tragedy, emails started flying with sizes of clothing listed. It even hit Facebook.

It is times like this when our community is at its finest. Within the past 12 to 18 months our school has sponsored two fund-raising events: one to raise funds for an elementary girl who was experiencing her second heart transplant and one to raise funds the family of a senior who has cancer and is undergoing treatment. Any time there is a fire there are always plenty of donations of clothing, food, and home goods. Mention that you or a family member is in the hospital and someone will show up on your doorstep with a casserole (or two). At funerals, there is always food for the family so they can just join together in their mourning.

This might not seem like anything out of the ordinary, but I have to add here that this same county is usually on the national list of poorest counties in the United States. Not only are we on the list, we are usually near the top. Yet, even with very little of their own, the residents always seem to find just enough to help those who need it most.

Earlier I mentioned my daughter....

It made me so proud when I heard her say, "Can we go to TJ Maxx or somewhere else on Saturday?" She went on to explain that she wanted to purchase some running shorts and things for her track teammate, the fire victim. I think she understands how important little gestures like that can be.

That makes me happy!