I would like to point all readers to the following NPR article, which tells the story of one Clarisse “Classy” Morant, a D.C. woman who seems to define true beauty in all ways possible. She recently passed at the age of 104 after spending years caring for her ill sister and brother.
Jezebel’s Sadie has done a great job in summarizing her story and spirit as such:
Her sister suffered from Alzheimer’s, and her brother was incapacitated by a stroke and dementia. The three siblings lived together in D.C., and – with help from day-nurses – Classy managed to keep the other two at home until their deaths, her younger brother in 2007 and sister on the last day of 2008. Only then did the 104-year-old begin to fade. After years of doing heavy physical work with no complaint or problem, she died after keeping her promise. Says a social worker who saw Classy in action, “She was all about providing whatever care they needed and never thought about, really, what her needs were and never complained about it. It was really remarkable.”
…what a wonderful woman (and that is a massive understatement)!
That being said, I must say I take umbrage to the phrase “everyday hero”, which many people will use to describe Ms. Morant. For sure she was a hero and deserves to be classified as such, but I do not like the division of “heroes” by what they may or may not have done and the number of people they affected. There are so many individuals like Ms. Morant who exist in the world today, yet they are taken for granted, and their contributions go unrecognized. Surely their are others who have a larger impact, but we must realize that most often they are given the opportunity to shine and also have a large support system behind them, aside from having the personality to back up their potential (if I must give a recent example, I will point to President Obama). People like Ms. Morant, who make a positive impact in whatever way possible, are the individuals who make the world go ’round. Let us learn from their examples, and have the strength to follow their actions in our lives. I am thankful that reporters were able to catch onto “Classy” ’s story so that she may have much larger an impact that would have ever been expected while she was alive. Rest in peace, Ms. Clarisse “Classy” Morant.
