How does family shape your perception of strength? My mother is the strongest person I know. She has faced unimaginable hardships with unwavering grace. As a Middle Eastern war refugee, she came to the United States at just seven years old after her family was forced out of Lebanon due to religious persecution. Later in life, she raised me and my sisters on her own after my father left. There are countless other challenges she has endured, but what amazes me most is how she moves through life seemingly unshaken. She is selfless, caring, fair, kind, genuine, and deeply influential. Everything she has endured has shaped her into who she is today; the strongest person I know.
However, my understanding of strength has not come from her alone. I am the youngest of three girls, and I have been fortunate to grow up with three extraordinary role models: my mom and my two older sisters, Grace and Sarah. Watching them navigate life with resilience, compassion, and courage has shaped me in more ways than I can count. I can confidently say I would not be the person I am today without them. Their presence, support, and examples have been, and continue to be, a true blessing in my life.
What keeps you strong in times of trial? For me, strength in difficult times comes from a combination of many things. First and foremost, having role models and a strong support system makes all the difference. As I mentioned earlier, I deeply admire the people in my life who have faced adversity with strength and dignity. Their resilience reminds me that it is possible to get through even the most trying circumstances. My faith also plays a central role. It gives me a steady foundation to lean on when life feels uncertain, offering both comfort and a reminder that I am never truly alone. Alongside that, I naturally tend to be very optimistic. I believe hardships are temporary, and that brighter days are always ahead. I remind myself that difficult situations are not the end all be all, but rather part of a larger journey.
A piece of advice that has stayed with me came from a role model who once asked, “Will you remember this in five years?” Over time, I began to apply that question to many situations, realizing that even five months, or sometimes five days later, what once seemed enormous no longer held weight. Now, I ask myself that same question whenever I feel stuck, and it helps put things in perspective. Last, but definitely not least, is that I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. This belief helps me find meaning even in pain. Even when I do not understand why something is happening, especially in times of trial, I remind myself of this saying and I realize what I am going through is part of a larger plan.
How have your trials made you stronger? Let’s be real, life is not fair. I have taken what life has given me and genuinely made the most of it. While I will not go into too much detail about the trials themselves, I can say with confidence my trials have shaped me into the person I am today. Upon much time and reflection, I would not change it for the world. There are still moments when I feel the weight of what I have lost, and I do sometimes find myself reminiscing. However in those moments, I choose to focus on what I have gained. Through my trials, I have learned how to be independent, how to love others deeply, and how to truly appreciate the little things. I have learned to focus on the good, to believe that family can be chosen, and that comparison is the thief of joy. I have also learned resilience, empathy, and the quiet strength that comes from enduring and rising. I would not trade these lessons for anything. The trials I have faced did not break me, they built me. They did not define my limits; they revealed my strength and propelled me toward a better version of myself.
How can you be strong and vulnerable? I firmly believe that strength and vulnerability go hand in hand. In fact, I do not think it is possible to build true strength without first allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is what opens the door to growth, connection, and self-understanding. It allows us to reflect, to feel deeply, and to face our fears with honesty. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we begin to uncover who we truly are and what we genuinely believe. This gain in self-awareness becomes the foundation of lasting strength. It takes courage to show up fully, to risk being hurt, or to admit we do not have all the answers, but that is where real strength lives. Not in perfection, but in authenticity. Empathy is a powerful example of being both strong and vulnerable. Empathy allows a person to step into someone else’s shoes, to truly feel what they are feeling and understand what they are going through. It requires strength to set aside your own perspective and be fully present for someone else. At the same time, it demands vulnerability, because it means opening your heart, feeling deeply, and sometimes carrying emotions that are not your own. Choosing empathy is not a sign of weakness, it is a courageous act that reflects both compassion and inner strength.
If you could ask a question to other women regarding strength, what would you ask? I would ask, “If it were easy, would you still do it?” Strength is often built through struggle, not comfort. If something comes easily, it loses its significance. If it were easy, everyone would do it and then it would not stand out as something powerful or meaningful. The good things are rarely easy. They require effort, resilience, and heart. That is what makes them, and the individuals who pursue them, so strong.
Christa’s Intentional Act of Kindness
How did you use the $100? While standing in line for food at a bodega, I noticed two men helping a woman in a wheelchair shop. They were going up and down the aisle with her, grabbing things she pointed to and putting them in her basket. I had assumed they were just helping her shop and that she would pay at the end. However, when they brought everything to the register, I quickly realized they were going to buy all the items in her basket for her. That is when I decided to use the $100 to pay for the groceries instead. When I offered the money to them, they would not take it. After moments of insisting that I really wanted them to accept it, the two men still declined, but they told me to give the money to the woman directly instead. I explained that I wanted to thank them for what they were doing, and they finally agreed to accept the money, only if they could pass it on to her. The woman’s name was Gail. She had no legs, was homeless, and told us she often felt misunderstood. She was elated when they handed her the money. We chatted for a bit after and I got the pleasure of learning a lot more about her story. She gave us hugs and explained how much we blessed her.
The right moment had come. I was waiting for my friend’s food to be ready, when the two men were putting the basket up to checkout. The entire group we walked in with had already come and gone, others we did not know that came in after us had gotten their food as well. That is when we asked and realized they had somehow forgotten to put in my friend’s order. However, I firmly believe everything happens for a reason and it all clicked at that moment. The reason they had forgotten her order was because we needed to be there to witness this act of kindness, so that I could bless the two men and Gail. I was genuinely moved by what I saw. It was late on a Saturday night, and these two men did not even know Gail prior. Yet they chose to help her shop, pay for her groceries, and did it all so naturally, without expecting anything in return.
What was the 'Intentional Act of Kindness' process like for you? It truly changed my perspective on how I view the world. It was a powerful moment, one of those rare instances that shows how kindness spreads. Everyone around us felt it: the friend I was with, the store clerk, the two men, and especially Gail. It made my entire day, maybe even my month, and left me with the feeling that I was exactly where I was meant to be, at exactly the right time.
Before this moment occurred, I had been thinking about how I could use the money to bless others. I had been considering different ways to give, just in case the right moment did not present itself. Doing this mental exercise helped me become more creative and intentional with my giving, which I will strive to do more of because of this experience.