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<strong>Siouxland</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> | Grow/37<br />
Building Our Own Form of Strength<br />
By Emily Vondrak<br />
Oftentimes, strength refers to physical ability,<br />
the power of one’s muscles. Sometimes<br />
it is handling a difficult situation well, not<br />
breaking down, keeping it together. But,<br />
frankly, sometimes strength is getting out of bed<br />
in the morning, brushing your teeth, and going<br />
to work. There are times even the smallest things<br />
require great strength.<br />
It is funny how our perceptions of strength have<br />
changed.<br />
A hundred years ago, strength was lying about your<br />
age to sneak into the military or staying home to<br />
raise children. “Strong” was mainly a masculine term<br />
and it meant you didn’t cry, you got up and threw<br />
some dirt on it. Strength was keeping it together, no<br />
matter what, and it was selfish to focus on yourself.<br />
Humans kept everything bottled up and put on a<br />
face when something was wrong.<br />
While a soldier and mother are still noble professions,<br />
as we have progressed as a society, we have<br />
learned more about mental health, equality, and the<br />
opportunities offered. We have learned to better<br />
take care of ourselves and others. We know that<br />
emotions and feelings are not a sign of weakness.<br />
And we know that it takes strength to overcome<br />
struggles with our mental health.<br />
Ultimately, strength is different for everyone.<br />
We all face different trials and tribulations. Some of<br />
us overcome homelessness, cancer, disability, and<br />
other difficulties others could not even begin to<br />
imagine. Those people are undeniably strong. But<br />
there is strength in all of us. Being a good parent or a<br />
good friend, taking steps to improve your health, seeing<br />
a therapist, or going back to school all take an immense<br />
amount of strength, too.<br />
I believe that we all build our own form of strength to face<br />
our own struggles. Hopefully, we can do our best to help<br />
others have strength, as well. To be there to listen, pick<br />
them up when they are down, be the shoulder to cry on or<br />
the sounding board for ideas. After all, at the end of the<br />
day, we are all in it together.<br />
Sioux City Growth Organization welcomes progressive<br />
and innovative ideas. As a group, we work to put these<br />
ideas into action and build the momentum to take Sioux<br />
City into the future.<br />
Photos Contributed by SCGO.<br />
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SIOUX CITY, IA 51106
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