Jace's junior high days are quickly coming to an end (mind blowing!). He had his 9th Grade Honors Night this past week and it was a big night for him. He was asked to give a speech and he did an excellent job of it. What we did not know was that he was also going to get a Freedom Leadership award, the highest award they honor, given to just four 9th graders. We were so surprised by this and really touched by his teacher who spoke about him and what he had to say about Jace. Basically, he talked about the content of his character and how that was more important than his academics and grades. He shared that Jace is always befriending others and standing up for the underdog, and shared a story about him finding help for a student being bullied last year. This really encapsulates Jace. He is a good kid and just came that way. He was also honored for his GPA, which was great. Here is the body of his speech and then pictures below.
Hello, my name is Jace Perry and I am a 9th grade Vice President for our Student Government, and the president of our local chapter of National Junior Honor Society.
You probably noticed that the quote on your invitation to 9th Grade Honors night, from The Outsiders says quote: “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one.”
What I took from this is we all have something in common, yet we are all different.” Endquote. And sometimes those differences are the most important part of who we are. What makes us unique should be celebrated. Don’t mistake my words, having things in common still matters. Our commonalities give us unity, and unity allows society to function. But our differences are what allow society to grow, differentiate, and flourish. Without them, we would all think the same, act the same, and lose the individuality that makes people special. I have seen and experienced this in my own life.
I have two adopted sisters who are very different from me, not just because of the color of their skin, or their backgrounds, but because they are their own unique people. One of my sisters, Flor, has special needs, on the severe side of 1P36 Deletion Syndrome, yet she is one of the most caring people I know. She is always ready to give someone a hug, forgive easily, laugh loudly, and enjoy life to the fullest.
To me, Flor is someone that I can look up to, in the sense that she is an example of when being different can and does make someone better. I know that I am not always as forgiving, as joyful, or as quick to love as she is. Human nature makes it easy to hold grudges, stay angry, or let emotions define and control us. I know that sometimes I do that. But Flor reminds me that our best qualities are often the things that make us different, and those qualities deserve to be celebrated.
As many of my peers know, I was recently hospitalized in March with a Diffuse Axonal Injury, a Traumatic Brain Injury. I had a sudden, still unexplained fall at home, which led to a Life Flight to Primary Children’s Hospital. I was there for five days, but I do not remember the first three. After that, I was transferred to a rehabilitation unit in Ogden.
My mom told me that I should specify, that when I tell people I went to rehab, it was for physical, occupational, and speech therapy, the kind with mostly elderly people. I definitely brought down the average age quite a bit while I was there!
When I first arrived at rehab, I could not walk on my own. But after seven days of work, some grumbling, and therapy, I was able to walk out of there independently. Doctors had warned my parents that I might experience significant delays, but thankfully, I have made an almost full recovery, without any serious repercussions, and am pretty much back to normal.
Before my injury, I had seen family members go through hospitalizations, my mom for surgery and my dad for his appendix, but I never truly understood the power of support until I was on the receiving end of it.
In the Outsiders, Ponyboy realizes that despite the divisions society creates, people are fundamentally connected. He understands that we are connected through emotions, like pain, hope, loneliness, and even the appreciation of beauty. These emotions are shared by everyone, no matter their background or social status.
During my hospital stay, many people from all walks of life supported me in ways I had never anticipated or thought about. This sometimes looked like receiving a Lego set, because someone understood the boredom of staying in a hospital, or receiving a stuffed animal to physically represent the love that person had for me. Some people who supported me and my family were close friends, while others were people I barely knew. There were people who I had not spoken to in years, that reached out to support me and my family. This touched me.
That experience helped me better understand the quote about the sunset. Before my accident, I think I viewed life from one set perspective. But after everything happened, my perspective changed. Not completely, but in subtle, nuanced ways. In a way, where I had once stood on the “back steps”, I know stood on the “patio”. The sunset is still the same, but the way I see it, the way it sees me, and the way I see life is different because of my experiences.
I now understand more about fear, gratitude, pain, and support. I understand how much people need each other, and I understand that while we all experience life differently, we are all still connected by the same human emotions and struggles.
Our differences do not have to divide us, in fact they can strengthen us. When we choose to understand and support people who are different from us, we create a stronger community, and a better society.
The sunset Ponyboy talks about reminds us that even though we may live different lives, we are all still looking at the same sky. Maybe that shared humanity, combined with the unique qualities that make each of us different, is what connects us the most.
I hope that as we all move through our personal lives, we all remember that every person around us fights battles that we don’t and won’t ever know about. They carry struggles and experiences we may never fully understand. Instead of judging people for their differences, we should learn from them, and celebrate them, like my family celebrates Flor’s differences. Be the person who includes others, who supports others, and who chooses kindness even when it is difficult, just as all of you did for me when I needed it, because at the end of the day, no matter where we stand, we are all looking at the same sunset.
No comments:
Post a Comment