This past week an amazing war was waged on the Red River by the citizens of Fargo, North Dakota.  One of the main defenses was the production of over 3 million sandbags and the creation of dikes with those sandbags that protected hundreds of river side homes and the cities of Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota from the rising waters.  Anyone that witnessed the building of these protective walls would soon discover that contrary to the belief of most engineers, sandbagging is truly an art as much as it is a science.  If you were present, you would quickly learn that the key ingredient of the 'art of sandbagging' are the people of the Red River Valley and the surrounding area who orchestrated this process as if it were a symphony rather than a desperate attempt to save their homes and lives.

These people did not wait for someone else to solve their problems  - they took action themselves.

These people did not wait to be asked - they simply showed up and offered their help.

These people did not boss one another - they worked together on putting a plan in place and then executed that plan.

These people did not complain - they talked, laughed, and encouraged others.

These people were not assuming - they fed those that helped and could not express their appreciation enough.

These people did not expect thanks - they did it because they cared.

These people did not quit -  they were relentless and

they never said die.

These people were not bigots - they were of all ages, races, religions, and social statuses.

These people were not just homeowners protecting their own - they were thousands of high school and college students who made the difference.

These people were not victims - they were heroes.

These heroes in Fargo, North Dakota truly defined the 'art of sandbagging' and set an example that the whole nation can learn from in dealing with whatever adversity may be presented to us in our lives.