Who’s Your Hero? Celebrity? Sports Star? How About You?
I’ve never been much into hero worship. So since the time I was little, I was not all that impressed with people in the spotlight of human attention who everyone was all google-eyed about. My real hero was my Mother.
I watched her endure hardship, loss, mistreatment, and more. And yet she continually got back up and rose above it all. It takes a special kind of grit to get repeatedly knocked down and get back up. And yet, at the same time, she taught by example the principles of acceptance, inclusion, forgiveness, and patience. Yes, she was my idea of a hero.
Real Heroes
So here we are early in 2017. We’ve just endured the elections and the efforts of all the politicians to convince us how all-knowing and wonderful they are. Now, we’re in the midst of the annual parade of celebrity awards, where the rich and famous gather to help us remember how gifted, talented, and irreplaceable they are. And how deserving they are of a golden or crystal award. And don’t forget about sports. The Super Bowl is upon us, and there’ll be plenty of chest-thumping as to who is the greatest of all.
Add all those to the historical figures commonly called heroes and you’ve got . . . a lot of people. Just a lot of people. But are they really heroes? Are they more of a hero than so many people you see every day? Are they more of a hero than you? I don’t think so. Here’s a good definition of a hero:
Look around you. Or look in the mirror. How many heroes do you see? How many times in your life have you earned a place in the ranks of heroes?
I frequently pay honor to my Mother, who passed away last year. Because right to the end, she was a fighter, and someone who walked her talk her entire life. Definitely, a hero. But there are many others I see, and many I admittedly don’t notice. They go unnoticed by you and me because they go about their lives quietly, humbly, and honorably. They’d never call themselves a hero, because what they do is . . . just what they do.
Start Noticing The Real Heroes In Your World
It seems to me there are a lot of people out there grabbing for the spotlight and anxious to pat themselves on the back. IMHO, they’re not heroes at all, but certainly less so than the many heroes that you and I know. You see, my heroes are the ones that are in the game every day. They show up. They not only go the distance, they go the extra mile. And I’d like to see them honored and recognized a bit more. Reminded that yes, we did notice what an awesome person they are.
You can start tomorrow morning. Look in the mirror.
Image credits.
