In March 2020, Salt Lake City was hit with a 5.7 earthquake. People were scared and panicked, but Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall knew exactly how to handle the situation. It started by staying calm and understanding what people were going through.
Mendenhall visited Highland High School on Tuesday, March 18th and spoke to the Highland Kindness Class and other students about the importance of grace and kindness in life. Mendenhall shared how trials in her life have helped her achieve a calm and peaceful mindset, while working in one of the most intense professions.
One of Mendenhall’s trials was the death of her father when she was 14 years old. He passed away because of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune system. After this, she lived in constant anger and aggression. In college, Mendenhall finally realized that she was not happy.
“I never felt better being angry and frustrated. It never resolved my heart,” Mendenhall said. “I just realized the longing I had for love and being involved with other people lives in ways that felt like I was helping.”
Mendenhall has used her past to help her through many problems like the Covid-19 pandemic, earthquakes, windstorms and more. She advised students to accept the things in their lives that have hurt them and use it to help others and yourself.
When the Salt Lake earthquake came, Mendenhall felt that same concern and stress that she felt when her father passed away. She used her experience to help navigate stress more positively and in a healthier way.
“In time, I started to realize that what I know of pain, loss, sadness, and sorrow has made me a very good, understanding person. A person who can understand well the pain and suffering of other people,” Mendenhall said.
Mendenhall invited students to be kind to others, because everyone is experiencing their own personal battle. She believes gratitude and kindness can help someone start healing.
As mayor, Mendenhall is constantly dealing with aggression. People are constantly yelling, blaming and making rude comments to give themselves power. Mendenhall does not believe in acting like that. She believes that kindness can help you lead stronger and more authentically. She believes that her power is from her grace.
Mendenhall’s final advice for the students was to be curious. She shares that America’s biggest problem currently is people believe that we have less in common with half of the country than we have in common, which causes people to close of curiosity.
“Be curious about your fellow people, about your school, community, and nation,” Mendenhall said. “We have got to find a way to care more about each other than this separation that’s breeding right now.”
