This past semester in English 11, Mrs. Dani DeJong shared a collection of essays from National Public Radio’s program, “This I Believe.” She then challenged her students to write their own personal credo about a core principle that defines their life. The array of topics, concerns, and passions were as diverse as the students themselves.

The ACS Inside Out blog is excited to present their essays in our 2017 summer blog series, “This I Believe: Eight Personal Credos by Eight ACS Students.”

PART FIVE: Help Old Ladies Cross The Street
By Daniela Estebanez

I believe that people should help old ladies cross the street.

I think almost everyone has been in a situation where they are in a hurry and there is always that old lady that is making everyone late. Sometimes this old lady can be waiting in line at a fast food restaurant, at the bank or crossing the street.

What usually happens next is that we start to get mad and frustrated.

We just want that old lady to hurry up because we have important things to do.

In the middle of all those thoughts we tend to forget how old she actually is. Maybe if we took a second to stop and think we would realize that she is doing the best she can. Instead of getting upset or frustrated we should take a few minutes to help her out.

By doing so, we are not only showing patience; we are showing kindness, compassion and empathy.

We need to take a moment and realize that someday that will be us.

We will be that old lady crossing the street and we will need some help.

I love my grandma. She’s strong and amazing. Whenever we hang out, I have so much fun with her but I also see her struggle.

If we go for a walk, it’s hard for her to keep up. If she drops something and tries to pick it up, she takes minutes to get back up. She was once young like me and she was able to do things faster. She was more than once in a position where an old lady was taking too long to cross the street and she got frustrated about it.

Now, my grandma needs help.

I have to admit, sometimes it’s hard to go out of my way to help others but when I do, I feel good. I know that in some way I changed that person’s day. It doesn’t matter if we help our loved ones or if we help a stranger.

At the end of the day, being kind, compassionate and empathetic is all that matters. Someday we will need that kindness, compassion and empathy from someone else.