Finding Heroes

There are people who have complained on blogs and letters to the editors about the amount of attention the recent deaths of Michael Jackson (in particular), Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and yes, even Billy Mays of infomercial fame, have received. The question asked, quite bitterly in some cases, is “why are these people so special? What about my father/ mother/ spouse /child/ friend? They were special too!”And there is absolutely no question they are. The only difference between the average person on the street, and the larger than life personalities that we call celebrities, are the visibility of their actions and the impact on peoples lives on a much bigger scale (usually).

For all the “regular joes” out there who wonder why a celebrity death is “more special” than someone in their family – it isn’t. We are all unique and gifted individuals with unique and gifted family /friends and even strangers who touch our lives. We are all heroes, and for that reason I’m sharing today a previous newsletter I wrote about finding heroes.

How easy is it to be a hero? Ever wondered if you have what it takes for someone to call you a hero? Well you do! It’s already inside you!

We have this idealized image of a hero in our heads: a hero is the person who runs into a burning building to save some stranger at great risk to their own lives. A hero is the soldier who dies fighting for our country. A hero is the kid who saved a bag of puppies from drowning because he heard their cries and pulled them from the water. A hero is the celebrity who dies tragically young.

A hero is...all of this and more.

These are just the most dramatic examples of what we see as heroes. But there are more everyday examples of heroes that you have in your own life—you just have to change your perception ever so slightly and think again what it means to be a hero.

Everyone is born a hero. Everyone . I have a lot of everyday heroes in my life.

My partner is my hero—having overcome tremendous life obstacles and bend during the toughest times, but not break.

My brother is my hero, for protecting family without hesitation, or give aid to family from wherever he is in the world—I know I can count on him when the chips are down.

My other brother is my hero too, for raising such incredibly kind and loving children in a world that is not always kind and compassionate.

My mother is my hero, for being able to block out her fear of claustrophobia to be locked into a mask for radiation therapy for throat cancer.

My father is my hero, for being the kind of man and doctor that has patients and friends alike admiring his compassion and common sense.

And I’m sure that to my cats, I’m their hero for loving them and feeding them and talking to them when they want attention!

The point is there are heroes in every one of us. We just haven’t always learned to recognize they are there within.
So start opening your eyes today, and start looking for the hero within you. I know you are there...