Everyday Heroes

Apr 2

A man gives change to a person sitting on the sidewalk in front of a capitol building. — Courtesy of Tom Parsons via Unsplash.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

— Aesop

I live in a house full of males, all of whom love superhero stories. While I confess to having a soft spot for watching the occasional well-done comic-book film or TV series, the kinds of heroes I look up to are much more ordinary.

My heroes’ superpowers weren’t given to them by gamma radiation leaks or meteorites. No, the people I try to emulate have displayed uncommon amounts of grit, determination, and often, grace, to achieve what many others only talk about.

I have heroes in every area of my life—women and men who inspire me to do better, not quit, try harder, who show me that failure is only a temporary setback or that faith, kindness, and love are stronger than fear.

What makes a hero, anyway? Here’s my short list:

Heroes show up.
Heroes go above and beyond what is required of them.
Heroes put others first.
Heroes never quit.

Some heroes I want to mention here are my mom, who seems to take every adversity with grace and a smile and still retains a sense of adventure to tackle new things; a dear friend of mine who found the courage to leave an abusive relationship and strike out on her own with four kids; my sister, who risked losing everything so she could be true to herself; and my husband, who shows me every day what sacrificial, unconditional love looks like.

But the list doesn’t stop there. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I can find something to admire in practically everyone I know.

We all have war stories. We all have things in our pasts that we either regret or would not want to repeat. But those things make us who we are. As long as we keep growing, keep learning, and keep moving forward, we are checking items off of the hero list.

Heroes aren’t born. They’re made. And that includes you, my friend. You might not feel like a hero. But trust me, you’re a hero to someone.

So keep being faithful. Show up. Love other people. Be kind. Don’t quit. Even—or maybe especially—when things get tough.

You might not ever know the full impact your life has had on others. But it is through small, everyday, ordinary heroism that we can change the world.