How have your trials made you stronger? A huge trial for me was overcoming my social anxiety at a young age. I remember being very shy through my mid teenage years, which often held me back from engaging in certain social and extracurricular activities. Despite this, I was still heavily involved in competitive sports. This ranged from gymnastics to soccer to competitive jump rope. I still clearly remember having the terrifying realization that in order to raise the money needed to travel to Cape Town with Team USA (jump rope), I would have to burst out of my safety bubble to establish and lead jump rope classes. This was a scary process for me, but through that experience I gained so much confidence in expressing myself. I never would have realized how personally fulfilled I am through sharing my love for this sport, supporting children’s gross motor development and encouraging others to reach their potential. And now, 15 years later I am a pediatric physical therapist doing just that!
Who is a female role model in your life and why? My grandma is, and always has been a strong female role model in my life. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1959, and decided to pause her academic pursuits to raise a family (of 4 kids) with her husband. During that time, she and my grandfather opened their home to adopt a local child whose parents struggled with alcohol addiction. One of my grandma’s children also struggled and eventually overcame substance addiction, which lit a fire in her to write a book to share her experiences in the hopes of helping other families of troubled teens. My grandma went on to pursue her Master’s in Family Studies and became a licensed mental health counselor in her early 40’s. This amazing woman has since owned and operated her private practice for over 30 years! My grandma’s passion for helping at-risk populations, using her personal trials to help others overcome theirs and her constant encouragement to pursue higher education have been large driving factors in my decision to pursue my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Without her ambitious example, and support before and during PT school, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She continues to be the strong glue our family and extended family revolves around. It has been such a blessing to have my grandma as a strong female role model through all life’s stages.
What’s one thing someone could do today to make them stronger? Carve out intentional time for self-reflection! I have found journaling and writing letters to myself to be very therapeutic, as I often write down what I won’t say aloud. I challenge you to find the strengths buried within your perceived weaknesses. For example, being an empath can be overwhelming at times. I often struggle with setting personal boundaries for how much I allow myself to carry those around me. However, through reflection I realize my empathy has helped me build strong rapport with the patients and families I work with and enabled a level of closeness with friends and family that I couldn’t live without. Many of us have more strength than we allow ourselves to realize!
Farris’s Intentional Act of Kindness
How did you use the $100? My aunt and uncle have been going through difficult times lately, and were recently granted custody of my cousin's baby when he went missing after falling back into drug addiction. She and her husband were nearing retirement, but found themselves beginning the unexpected journey of parenthood again in their 60's, and needing to continue to work to cover expenses. I decided to surprise them with clothing and toys for her upcoming birthday, as they have been struggling to make ends meet.
My aunt and uncle are wonderful, wonderful people. They have loved this little girl as their own, and graciously accepted this unexpected role. I immensely admire their strength, grit and generosity. Hardship can be isolating, and I felt this gesture would be a reminder of the community of support around them.
What was the 'Intentional Act of Kindness' process like for you? I really appreciate how this process challenged, and continues to challenge me to look into the needs of my community. Although it was more difficult than I thought to decide on a single act!