Celebrating Heroes on Veterans Day!
November 11, 2020
What is a hero? On a day like Veterans Day, we meditate on and have gratitude for Veterans and they undoubtedly deserve our most sincere thanks for keeping us safe from harm.
But let’s dig into the term hero.
A hero is…what? Your first picture might be Superman or The Incredible Hulk? Maybe Spiderman? Ironman? Wonder woman? Captain Marvel? The Black Panther? Batman?
But I believe that we are defined by – labeled by – what we do. So what is a hero? Someone who saves other people? Who goes to extraordinary lengths to help others in their time of need? When looking at it that way, do you start picturing first responders (police, firefighters, paramedics and doctors)? They are very much heroes to a lot of us. They do things that are beyond belief – saving lives – putting their lives in peril for others.
Let’s take it step further though. Let’s broaden our thoughts a little more.
Is a hero someone who took you in when you didn’t have somewhere to go?
Is a hero someone who saw you didn’t have enough when you went to pay for your food and slipped you some money so you could eat?
Is a hero the person who stayed up with you all night talking through your relationship or friendship problems, leaving you feeling better?
Someone working with you on a group project who gives a pep talk to the team before you present your work?
Yeah, I think so. You see, too often we think of heroes as doing these huge consequential things, when really, it’s about just putting in the extra effort to make someone feel special and valued.
I know I have had quite a few heroes in my life. Some are family who supported me and never gave up on me, some were friends who gave me an ear when I needed someone to listen and some were complete strangers who donated to scholarship funds that I benefited from.
If we start thinking about it in those terms, can’t anybody be a hero? Can’t YOU be a hero? Tell me a story about someone who was a hero in your life, in the comments below OR tell me about how you became a hero for someone in your life. Thank them!