"'Truly I tell you,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'"
-Luke 21:3-4
I had to write an essay of no more than 250 words with no prompt provided. I came up with this.
Society tends to confine the definition of greatness to those assuming some sort of power, whether by means of political office, social admiration, or inheritance. Unfortunately, this narrow acceptance criteria overlooks the unseen in society who also deserve the characterization of greatness, demonstrating a need to search beyond those who first come to mind in order to discover those over whom the mind quickly skips. A little boy awakens in the alley he calls home to the sound of carts as the city around him begins its day. The wind rushes past him, whipping at his chapped, raw ankles as he shudders and pulls his ragged shirt closer to his emaciated body. After some contemplation, he decides to venture out, wincing as dust from the street drifts into his sore eyes, wondering what new horrors the day will bring. Across town a woman musters her strength, preparing to search for menial labor to enable her to feed her young children. Untrained and indigent, she yearns to escape the stares of scorn and derision from those she encounters in her journey but remains trapped by unforgiving circumstances. Feelings of failure gnaw at her, yet she cannot surrender for fear of what could occur to those depending on her. Society quickly forgets about such characters in its search for the perfect role model. And yet, scrutinizing their situations even only a minute level beneath the surface reveals an inner strength, pushing them forward each day. Such strength defines greatness at its core.