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There are countless inspirational cliches meant to give us support through the tough times — whether those come through an accumulation of adversities, a moment requiring a sudden response, or just seeing an opportunity to offer a helping hand — but such sayings can be rendered even more simplistic when held up against the real thing in action.

Consider the approaches taken by Rogue Valley residents who recognize the challenges before them and draw from within to find the tools necessary to persevere and, in doing so, help others.

Residents such as Theresa Tyler-Lehman who — with the loving support of her family and an unrelenting religious faith — is meeting head-on the sort of upheaval that would wilt the confidence of many of us.

Tyler-Lehman, the mother of seven, was in remission from a bout with a rare form of cancer when her mother passed away in May, meaning she had lost both parents in a five-month span.

As this was going on, the youngest of her children with her husband, Jeff, was born with a birth defect that will require complex corrective surgery next month.

And then, in recent days, she learned that her cancer has returned.

“The only thing I can think of that keeps me going is my faith in God and my kids, because I’m raising the future,” she says of how she manages the day-to-day. “I’ve had to navigate my own grief while navigating theirs. That’s what keeps me getting up in the morning.”

As you would expect, the family faces serious, and mounting, money issues, and there are several ways for the community to rally around them financially.

None of this, however, appears to have broken Tyler-Lehman’s spirit.

“Never give up; never stop smiling,” she says. “You never know how much a smile can change someone’s day.”

It wasn’t so much a smile, but rather the look of satisfaction and relief that graced the countenance of Wes McKenzie — the owner of a Medford firewood business who jumped in unasked to help stop the spread of the recent Table Rock Road Fire.

While his workers manned a hose to protect his home, McKenzie, his crew and a neighbor created fire lines to keep the fire from not just his, but a different neighbor’s home as well — while also providing enough containment to aid firefighters in knocking down the wind-driven flames.

“I had three guys working with me,” McKenzie said. “We didn’t even have time to get our fire truck. We grabbed hoses and started making fireline.”

After he and his neighbor manned front-end loaders to scrape out the terrain, Jackson County Fire District 3 battalion chief Will Clelland said McKenzie’s actions played a major role is keeping a bad situation from getting worse.

“He,” Clelland said, “was an absolute rock star.”

It’s not a rock star, but the makings of an Eagle Scout that Nicola Chmelir drew from when acting to help others.

The 17-year-old from Medford, who is working toward Scouting’s highest honor, has spent months collecting donations and supplies to distribute among the community’s foster children.

“I’ve been blessed with a fortunate upbringing,” she says, “and it’s important to give back to those who are less fortunate.”

Chmelir sets up shop every Thursday at the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market at Hawthorne Park in Medford, and has a goal of creating 150 duffel bags filled with necessities and other offerings for foster children.

She said she was spurred to act by leaning that oftentimes the children involved require just the simplest gestures of kindness to generate a sense of self-worth.

The stories of these neighbors remind us that we don’t have to rely on trite banalities to inspire. Words can fall flat — but the actions of others can provide all the inspiration we need.