HELPERS

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Today's reflection is simple: our people are the toughest of any, anywhere.

I began my day in Perry County, where I met with my friend Kate Clemons to learn from her about the progress she is making as the leader of Roscoe's Daughter, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to assisting communities with disaster recovery across Appalachia.

She understands the importance of strategic storytelling as we seek to share our challenges and successes. We will continue working to ensure the world sees how much strength we possess as a people.

As I traveled through our community in Breathitt County later today, I witnessed resilience in action.

I saw our local school district ensuring that children's needs were met, families working together to clear driveways and garages, and neighbors offering support in any way they could. The strength of our people is not just in their ability to endure hardship but in their willingness to lift one another in the midst of it.

I saw humility on full display. When offered water, some flood survivors declined, not because they did not need it, but because they wanted to ensure their neighbors' needs were met first. That speaks to who we are as a people. We do not take more than our share.

We do not turn inward in times of struggle. Instead, we look to those around us and ask, "How can I help?"

This experience reminded me of the words of Mr. Rogers: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

In eastern Kentucky, the helpers are everywhere. They are the ones who show up with food, dry clothes, a hand on a shoulder and a word of encouragement. They are the ones who give, even when they have little left.

They are the ones who embody the command found in Galatians 6:2: "Carry one another's burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

No matter how high the waters rise, no matter how heavy the burdens become, we will continue to carry one another. That is who we are. That is what we do.

Tomorrow, we will be ready to continue, ready to serve, and prepared to lift each other up because that is the Appalachian way.

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