Over the weekend, I was able to get down to Penn Yan and see how my hometown is fairing since the flash flooding last week. Thanks to the incredible hard work of so many people, a lot of the clean-up is nearing completion, and the rebuilding has begun. It’s going to be a long road for some families and businesses, and I’m sure the emotional toll will last longer than the physical one. But there are already so many signs – both tangible and intangible – of recovery.
Seeing how the community has come together in this time of need made me think about how ridiculous it is that we are not this supportive and encouraging all the time. How we spend so many of our days focusing on the things that make us different, rather than the things we have in common. It’s sad that it takes a tragedy to bring people together to stand side by side, that it takes destruction to remind us of how important it is to care for our neighbors.
This isn’t a phenomenon specific to Penn Yan, of course. It happens everywhere. Think of how united this country was after September 11th. Remember that swell of patriotism, of pride, of unity? We were truly a united nation after that terrible event. Sadly, it didn’t take long before we were right back to the way we were before – focused on the things that make us different, forgetful of the things that make us the same.
You know what matters when something like last week’s flood happens? Not the color of your skin or the kind of person you’re attracted to, or the size or shape of your body, not your politics or your religion. What matters is how much you care for the person next door, how hard you are willing to work, how brave and strong you are.
When tragedy strikes, no one is thinking about their neighbor’s weight. No one refuses help from someone because their BMI is too high. That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? That’s because those things don’t matter. If I’m fat and you’re thin, we’re still both people, and we still both want the same things: health, happiness, safety. Doesn’t it make you wonder why we can’t wake up every morning and think about how we can help our community, our neighbors, and ourselves be healthier, happier, and safer? Doesn’t it make you wonder why we care so much about how and why we’re different?
I was listening to a song the other day that includes the line, “Together, we’re unlimited.” That’s the truth. I hope that the spirit of coming together that has swept Penn Yan in the past few days lingers. I hope neighbors embrace and care for each other for long years to come. It’s easy to focus on differences, to close ourselves off to things that we find hard to understand or embrace. But we are all made of the same flesh and bone, and together we can make our world a little better, every day. Together, we’re unlimited.
