When you think about it there are few people in life that you truly trust. It takes a special person to earn the complete trust of someone else. Someone who can personifies a hero in my eyes. I am lucky enough to have that person in my life and her name is Ms. Alice Kay McFarland.
Cancer is one of the scariest words in the English language. It tries to kill its victims painfully physically and mentally and succeeds all too often. Those who survive have two choices: they can be bitter and spiteful towards life or they can gain a new found perspective and love for life and those in it. Ms. McFarland had cancer. She dealt with grueling surgeries and unforgiving chemotherapy. Today she is a cancer survivor; however, you would never know by just talking to her. She is extremely healthy and forgiving. She takes life in stride and always finds purpose in life’s challenges.
Ms. McFarland is an extremely talented musician. She can play the piano beautifully but more impressively she has the voice of an angel. Music is what defines her. It is her life story while her cancer is merely a subplot. She uses her talents in many ways. One of the most giving ways is her work in her church. Ms. McFarland is very invested in her relationship with God and it is apparent that she was given these talents to help her minister to others. She is a part of a small church that ministers to a humble community. She has worked hard to use her talents to minister and to share her music with that community. Music offers peace and sometimes it can be the first connection that someone has with Christ. Also through her church she recently started a campaign to help more of her community. She collects basic school supplies for one of the most impoverished schools in the city. Without this program the great majority of these children would have nothing, not even the bare minimum, in the way of school supplies. Ms. McFarland receives nothing in return, no real recognition or anything of that sort. However, I am sure she is a hero in the eyes of those children and their families.
Though all that I have mentioned is enough to be considered a “hometown hero,” they are not the reasons she first came to mind. I first thought of the complete trust I have in her and the profound affect she has had on my life. Before I met her I was not confident in myself at all. I tended to be withdrawn and very hard on myself. I lived life without learning form it and appreciating its beauty. Ms. McFarland saw my potential. She taught me to sing in more ways than one. She has been my private voice instructor for six years; however, more importantly, she has been my mentor. She helped me come out of my shell and learn to love myself. She has taught me that pain is a part of life. You hurt for a reason: it shows life has meaning. I can tell her anything without fearing judgment. Instead, I know that she will coach me through the tough times and rejoice with me in the good. Most importantly I learn by example. She lives with high moral standards and I have never seen her falter from them. However, I have never seen her struggle with them either. She knows herself and is extremely comfortable with her decisions. She does not need to fit in. She does what is right for her and makes no apologies for it. She always tells me “no one has to live your life but you.” So because of her I try hard to do what I know is right and I don’t worry about what others think of me. She has not only had this affect on me. Many other people have their own reasons to cherish their relationships with her. She dedicates herself to the needs of others whether it is through community service or an impromptu conversation about the unfairness of life.
I cannot put into words how much she has impacted my life. I am so grateful for everything she has done for me and every time she has saved my life. She does not fight fires or bad guys or anything that classically defines a hero. But she does save lives and make them better for those around her. She is my hero.
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