My Heroes

Heroes in my mind, are not people who fly around in capes. They aren’t people who sell record numbers of albums or people who play on the football field. Heroes in my mind, are people who come into work every day... while silently fighting cancer and keeping optimistic that they'll come through. Heroes in my mind are men and women who take the time to help those in need, going out of their way to help someone else expecting no gain and accepting no recompense. Heroes in my mind, are the people who run into a burning building when everyone else is running out. They're the people who approach the raving gunman and try to talk him down, while putting their own life on the line. Heroes in my mind, are the people you will rarely hear news stories about and almost never see on TV. They are the people who do not strive for recognition and instead prefer to go back to their lives after all is said and done.

Heroes in my mind, are people who stand up for what is right but who do not allow arrogance or pride to cloud their vision or influence their actions. Heroes in my mind, are the mothers who brave poverty to raise their children on their own, sacrificing self to ensure that they have a future. Heroes in my mind, are the fathers who stick through it all and who would lay down their lives for their families. Heroes in my mind, do have superpowers, but they aren’t the powers to fly or scale tall buildings. The powers they have are the abilities to wipe out hate with real love, to show kindness even when none is given back to them and to wake up every morning with a smile on their face… even while their bodies are rapidly dying on the inside. Those are my heroes, they are real people, people who we can learn powerful lessons from, people who carry humanity forward even as collectively we take steps back. Try to recognize the heroes around you, because many times their impact isn’t felt until they’re no longer there.