BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Connect and chalk it up

By Maya Harpavat, age 15 and Mary-Ellen Abshire, age 16 | May 1, 2020

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SPREADING POSITIVITY Friends Maya Harpavat (on left) and Mary-Ellen Abshire (on right) wrote with chalk on sidewalks to spread positive messages during the coronavirus pandemic. Maya is a sophomore at St. Agnes Academy, and Mary-Ellen is a sophomore at St. Thomas’ Episcopal; the two have remained friends since their elementary-school days.

On the first day of fourth grade at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, bonding over a love of baking, we instantly became close friends. As time went on, baking cakes turned into bike rides, writing articles for our school newspaper, travelling to DC, performing in musicals, and even starting our own Etsy business, in which we paint and tie-dye shoes. The friendship that began with making cakes has blossomed, despite attending different high schools.

When our schools closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to do something to spread positivity, so we decided to chalk up the sidewalks in Bellaire with encouraging quotes to brighten neighbors’ days. Maya had seen the sidewalk-chalk idea on TikTok, and we decided to continue the trend here.

Filling the sidewalks with sayings, like “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out,” was not only a nice way to get out of the house for a little while, but it also made people happy and showed us how a small action was able to help our community come together. As we were drawing, people smiled as they were passing by and commented that seeing the art had made their day. Along with quotes, we also filled the sidewalks with friendly reminders on how to stay safe during the pandemic, including “Remember, six feet apart” and “Make sure to wash your hands.”

One of our sidewalk-chalk art pieces was even featured in the introduction for Channel 2 news! One small act that takes just a little time can spread like wildfire, changing things for the better. Other young artists also showcased their art on sidewalks around Bellaire, creating their own masterpieces to inspire neighbors. We encourage you to chalk up the sidewalks around your home to continue this trend and spread positivity in these crazy times – one sidewalk at a time.

Editor’s note: Both Maya and Mary-Ellen contribute to our School Buzz blog for their high schools. See thebuzzmagazines.com/school-buzz.

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